October 7, 2021 - Fresh details about the terrible accident of Jennifer Welsh, the 22-year-old British tourist in a coma after falling from a Dubrovnik balcony.

This article has been updated at 15:30 on October 8 - see below.

After British media reported the story of Sara Walsh launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her sister Jennifer after a horrific accident in Croatia, more details are emerging about the incident. 

Ms Walsh had apparently fallen from a balcony on Saturday, October 2 while on holiday in Dubrovnik and was left with a bleed on the brain, two skull fractures, a broken collarbone, a punctured lung, broken ribs and a fractured wrist. According to the GoFundMe campaign launched, she did not have travel insurance, and an initial appeal for £30,000 (which has now increased to £35,000) has met with big success, with £32,507 pledged at time of writing. 

Curiously for a story of this nature, it did not appear at all in the Croatian media until this morning, some 24 hours after being reported in the UK. Also a little strange were the almost complete lack of details about the case, with the only source of information being the GoFundMe appeal and some social media posts from her sister. 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jennifer Walsh (@jenniferwalsh_)

After asking a few contacts in Dubrovnik what they knew, I was surprised that nobody had heard about the incident at all. I checked with the British Embassy, who repsonded immediately:

“We are aware of a UK person being hospitalised in Dubrovnik and we have offered consular assistance.”

I called the Dubrovnik police, who were able to give me an update. 

The police confirmed that Ms Walsh had fallen from a Dubrovnik balcony, as reported. This happened at about 20:00 last Saturday in a private apartment. It was not the one she was renting, but one rented by two British citizens.

The apartment was in the popular Ploce area of town, very close to the historic old town.

(Ploce Gate, entrance to the old town of Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Tourist Board)

She fell about 3.5 metres and unfortunately landed on her head. She was immediately transferred to hospital and has been in a coma. 

The police are treating the incident as an accident for now, but their investigations are ongoing, and they will make more information available as things are confirmed. The police had no comment when I asked if alcohol was involved. They wanted to convey the facts as they have been established so far. 

I asked if her parents were with her. The police had heard that they were, but referred me to the hospital for more information on that and her current condition. 

Some encouraging - but unofficial - news has just emerged with regard to her condition, as reported by local portal Dubrovacki Vijesti:

-When she was brought to the hospital, the condition was critical, she had a very difficult operation with an uncertain outcome, but in the end everything ended well. She is awake, but after such severe injuries it all takes time, the operation was difficult, demanding and time consuming. Although complications are still possible, it is out of danger, but it will certainly have consequences. She has a long recovery ahead of her - Dubrovacki finds out unofficially.

Update on October 8, 2021 - Dubrovacki Vijesti has also just published a little more detail about the night the accident happened in an update to the story. According to this Dubrovnik portal, Ms. Walsh was not actually staying in Dubrovnik, but in Zupa close by. She was attending a party at the rented apartment of friends (there is a photo of the apartment in the link in the previous sentence). While standing on the terrace, she dropped something off the balcony. When she tried to retrieve it, the tragic accident occurred, and she fell 3.5 metres, as the police stated above. 

There has been a fantastic response to the GoFundMe campaign, which has now reached £35,259, thereby meeting the £35,000 target.

UPDATE October 7 - Unofficial: Jennifer Walsh Out of Coma After Fall from Dubrovnik Balcony, More Details from Police

October 6,  2021 - Jennifer Walsh, a 22-year-old banker from Edinburgh is in a coma but stable in hospital after falling from a hotel balcony in Dubrovnik. On holiday without travel insurance, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched, reports the Edinburgh Evening News.

Exact details of the incident are still sketchy, but according to the Edinburgh Evening News, the fall took place on Saturday, and Ms Walsh was left with a bleed on the brain, two skull fractures, a broken collarbone, a punctured lung, broken ribs and a fractured wrist.

Her family were informed of the incident, and they were shocked to learn that Ms. Walsh did not have any travel insurance. They immediately flew out to be at her side. 

Sister Sara Walsh explained more in the GoFundMe page, Jennifer's Story, which the family set up to raise money for her medical bills: 

The worst 4 days of our lives …

On Saturday the 2nd of October we received a phone call to say my beautiful sister had fallen from a balcony while on holiday in Croatia. Myself and my parents were left in absolute shock, all devastated with this horrifying news not knowing what was going to happen to our Jen. The fall impacted Jennifer’s body so badly, that it left her with a bleed on the brain, 2 skull fractures, a broken collarbone, a punctured lung, all ribs on her left side broken and a fractured wrist. Due to the fall Jennifer instantly fell into a coma. When she arrived at the hospital she received brain surgery to save her life. My parents were able to fly out the next again morning and be by her side at this awful time. Jennifer is in a stable condition after the surgery and is recovering but is still in an induced coma, we are praying for her to make a speedy recovery ❤️ -

Unfortunately we thought she had travel insurance but she does not. Therefor we have set up a go fund me page to help cover the costs. 

Anything received is greatly appreciated, as a family we would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers at this time.

Our Jen is the strongest girl who we all love so much and will get through this.

❤️

Thanks,

The Walsh Family

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The target for the GoFundMe campaign was £30,000, which was set up 21 hours prior to publication of this article. At time of publishing, some £28,280 had been raised. More than 1,300 people have donated so far after the story made the national media. You can see the GoFundMe page here. 

The story is yet to appear in the Croatian media, when presumably more details will emerge. We will update this article accordingly.