A cruise ship is under fire after an elderly passenger died from a spinal injury. The man was injured after being flung during a violent storm.
85-year-old Trevor Gilks died days later. He fell from his chair on the Saga's Spirit of Discovery. The incident happened in 2023 but more info has come to light. Gilks had been on vacation with his wheelchair-bound wife.
Gilks hurt himself and suffered a spinal injury. A nurse fitted him with a neck collar hours later after an X-ray. Unfortunately, the X-ray wasn't clear enough to determine the extent of his injuries. A few days later, he lost feeling in his legs. The ship's crew was unable to offer an airlift off the cruise ship due to conditions.
"Given the weather conditions, and having discussed with the doctor the risks of helicopter transfer in high seas, the captain decided that it would be better for [Gilks] to remain on board Spirit of Discovery until the vessel berthed in in Portsmouth that evening, when he could be safely disembarked to hospital," the report noted.
Cruise Ship Trouble
Upon disembarking from the cruise ship, Gilks was rushed to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with a severe cervical spinal injury. It left him permanently quadriplegic. Sadly, Gilks died days after the cruise ship incident.
"Delay in identifying that a passenger had suffered a severe spinal injury led to him receiving suboptimal treatment that may have affected the severity of his injury. Four days after the accident, he died in the hospital from his spinal injury," the report found.
Following his passing, the cruise ship company apologized.
"Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mr Gilks and all the guests and crew affected by this incident, and we are sorry for the distress they suffered," a spokesperson said.
"Safety is our number one priority and, whilst the weather is beyond our control, we always follow industry guidelines and best practice."
