Mum’s dream family holiday to Turkey ‘ruined’ after she went to the toilet on pirate boat

Shannon Hill, 29, jetted off to Antalya with her husband and two children, as well as her mother in law, for a two week holiday in May – but it was ruined by a trip on a pirate boat

A mum claimed her dream family getaway to Turkey was “ruined” after an incident aboard a “pirate boat” during their stay.

Shannon Hill travelled to Antalya with her husband and two children. Ms Hill’s mother-in-law also joined the family for the fortnight break in May.

The holiday cost £2,500 and was proceeding smoothly at the four-star resort until they boarded a pre-arranged pirate ship excursion. Nevertheless, the break took a devastating turn when Shannon slipped whilst heading to the toilet and fractured her leg in three places.

Discussing the accident, she said: “We thought the pirate ship boat trip looked really fun. But as I stepped into the toilet I slipped and my leg snapped.”

She told the Liverpool Echo: “My leg was swollen and wonky and my husband had to carry me back up the stairs.

“It turned out my leg was broken in three places and I also dislocated my ankle – it was agony.”

Following Shannon’s husband carrying her back onto the deck, the family alleged they were informed they must wait until the excursion ended to seek medical attention as the vessel couldn’t return to shore.

Five hours afterwards Shannon was transported to hospital where X-rays disclosed the full extent of her injuries. She said: “I was told I needed surgery as the bone was completely snapped and it could pierce a vein.

“They had to manipulate my leg before – I was screaming in pain.”

The next morning brought Shannon’s two-hour operation with an epidural for pain relief – which she described as “horrific”. Ms Hill required surgery to insert screws and a metal plate to rejoin the bones.

The Surrey mother endured three agonising days in a Turkish hospital before returning to the UK on their scheduled flight with her leg encased in plaster.

Medical professionals in the UK informed her that the procedure hadn’t been performed to British standards, necessitating additional surgery. She explained: “When we went to A&E back home, my leg was so swollen from the flight. Then I was told the screws put into my leg in Turkey were too long, and I would need another surgery to replace them.”

Since that time, Shannon has been attending weekly X-rays and scans to monitor her recovery. She was completely unable to walk for eight weeks before finally being able to wear a supportive boot.

She’s now mobile again but can only manage 20-minute walks before experiencing pain, and can only wear flip-flops due to ongoing swelling.

Following her operation at year’s end, she’ll need to repeat the entire process – relearning to walk for a second time with potentially “years of physiotherapy” ahead.

She commented: “It was a nightmare and has left a sour taste in my mouth. It was our first holiday as a family of four and it was spoiled. I haven’t been on a boat since and even the thought of swimming gives me anxiety because of the wet floor.

“It’s still painful for me every time I walk. I feel like I need a second holiday after the trauma of this one. But the thought of going away again freaks me out.”

The firm operating the boat excursion characterised it as “an unfortunate incident”.

The company explained they offered to transport her from the vessel using a smaller inflatable craft, referred to as a Zodiac boat, but Shannon indicated her injury prevented her from boarding.

Upon reaching shore, one of the company representatives drove her to hospital in their personal vehicle for medical attention.

The company stated: “They did not make any complaints and thanked us while leaving.”