Man, 23, breaks neck in horrific waterslide accident on holiday
A British man is facing the horrifying prospect of being paralysed for life after breaking his neck in a freak accident on a waterslide.
David Briffaut, 23, was on holiday in Spain with his girlfriend, Penny, when the tragic accident occurred – and it was all caught on camera by their friends.
A video shows the couple launching themselves head-first down a steep waterslide on red mats at the Aqualandia water park, in the seaside resort of Benidorm.
At the end of the slide, something appears to go wrong as Mr Briffaut’s head can be seen snapping forward as he hits the water.
Immediately after, his unconscious body had to be fished from the pool.
The 23-year-old, who works as a greens keeper at a golf course, broke two vertebrae in his neck and may never walk again, The Sun reports.
He has been in intensive care since the accident on July 8 and remains on life support.
‘We are living in every parents' nightmare’
Mr Briffaut’s family have set up a crowdfunding page asking for donations to help him deal with the burden of needing a carer for the years to come.
“David is currently on life support in hospital in Alicante where he is expected to undergo more surgery, and once he is considered stable enough arrangements will be made to fly him home to the UK by Air Ambulance,” the page reads.
“These catastrophic injuries will mean that David will need life-long care.
“His life has changed and so has the lives of those closest to him. His parents’ home will need to be remodelled for disability access, specialised treatment and new treatments will need to be explored and of course so many other unforeseen expenses covered.”
At the time of writing, the page had raised more than $53,000.
Penny, who has been dating Mr Briffaut for six years, posted a link to the page on social media, writing: “I love you so much, we will get through this.”
Speaking to The Sun, his mother praised the medical staff who have been treating her son in Spain but said the family was devastated by the incident.
“We are living in every parents' nightmare. Our son went on holiday with his girlfriend and we have been told he might never walk again,” she said.
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