Manchester diver paralyzed in Croatia

[DandyDon]

In the U.S. we can buy DAN dive insurance that will take care of us and repatriate us as needed, and we can still buy good Trip insurance that will do both even covering Covid-19. I don't know what's available in the UK? I'm guessing that whatever insurance he had excluded scuba diving, but that's only a guess.

Little information leaving lots of questions here. What exactly was wrong with the tank that left him unconscious as well as paralyzed? Was he even a trained diver?

Man paralysed in scuba diving accident while on holiday in Croatia - his friends and family are desperate to bring him home to Manchester

The family of a man who was paralysed during a horror scuba diving accident say they are desperate to fly him home to Manchester.

Mariusz Szrek, 38, is currently in a hospital in Dubrovnik after claims he was given a 'faulty oxygen tank' whilst scuba diving earlier this week.

The restaurant worker is originally from Poland but has lived in Manchester for 15 years. He is said to be awake, but unable to move from his hospital bed.

His friends and family are desperately trying to raise money to fly Mariusz back home to Manchester, so he can receive better treatment.

They claim his insurance company are refusing to pay any compensation towards repatriating Mariusz, or his medical bills.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News , Mariusz's flatmate Tomek said he is extremely worried about his friend's condition.

"It's a very bad situation - we don't know what to do," he said.

"He is in hospital in Croatia and the insurance company has given up on him and someone needs to pay for all the treatment.

"Mariusz has lived in Manchester for 15 years and works in a restaurant. He sends wages back to his family in Poland.

"His mum and sister had a birthday last month and he paid for them all to go on holiday together to Croatia."

Mariusz's friends say he had gone scuba diving, but was given a faulty oxygen bottle, which lead him to fall unconscious whilst underwater.

He is currently on his own in a hospital in Croatia, after his family had to fly back to Poland.

His friends are now trying to raise £25,000 so they can fly Mariusz back to Manchester - and receive the medical care he needs.

"It is difficult because we don’t have answers. We just need some help," Tomek said.

"Nobody can see him and his family have had to go back to Poland. We want to bring him back to Manchester but it will cost £25,000.

"Mariusz’s mum has cancer so it is even more devastating for the family. We just want answers from the hospital and his insurers."

A crowdfunding page set up by his friends and family has raised £3,670.

Mariusz's insurance company have been contacted for comment.

 

[MightyDuck]

Of course you can pay for DAN insurance from Europe too (and for a quite few other diving insurance companies too), so the option is avaible.
I suspect he didn’t had any dive insurance, just a simple one for traveling, and almost all non-dive insurances excluding all extreme sports.

 

[michael-fisch]

Medical care is free in Croatia, although there are costs for food consumed while in the hospital.

When I had a DCS II hit in Croatia, I was only billed around a hundred Euros, even though I had 2 emergency helicopter flights from Vis to Split and from Split to Pula, 4 chamber rides, a CT Scan, MRI Scan, and a Ultrasound scan, during my 4 days of inpatient treatment. While in the Pula military hospital I had department heads argueing about who would be the next specialist who got to see me while they were standing in line, to be told that they would have to wait because the chamber was ready to give me my 2nd chamber ride and the chamber came first.

The care he is recieving in Croatia is probably better than he has a hope of getting in either England or Poland, and if he wants to be medivaced back home in order to be visited by family and friends he should bear the expense. English is understood and spoken by most medical professionals in Croatia so that is not an issue.

Michael

 

[wgw04024]

"someone needs to pay for all the treatment..." Did he really say that outloud?

 

[DandyDon]

"someone needs to pay for all the treatment..." Did he really say that outloud?

If accurate, it's attributed to Mariusz's flatmate Tomek about his insurance company.