A Brit was forced to miss his own wedding and endure a four-day bus journey home from Crete after a 14ft fall left him fighting for his life.
Jordan Burrows, 31, missed the big day after being rushed to hospital with serious head injuries following the freak accident on the eve of his wedding.
He had travelled to the luxury five-star Nana Beach Hotel in Greece with 42 of his friends and family for a two-week trip, where he was due to wed his girlfriend, Chloe.
The date was set to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the day that the couple met for the first time.
But the trip of a lifetime turned into a nightmare when he fell from a knee-high balcony, plummeting to the ground below in May last year.
He is lucky to be alive after suffering a depressed skull fracture with internal bleeding and an ankle fracture.
The Brit was rushed to Heraklion Hospital for treatment, where he spent a week.
Jordan, from Wigan, Greater Mancs., claims that both Tui and his travel insurance provider refused to help him because he had been drinking before the accident.
It meant Jordan was left stranded and had to make the 2,400-mile journey home by bus, train and ferry with his mum.
He said: “What should have been the happiest day of my life turned into a nightmare.
“I’m amazed it hadn’t happened to someone sooner given the low height of the wall on the landing, despite it being about 14 feet up.
“I was extremely lucky to survive the fall, albeit with serious head injuries.
“As I began to recover in the hospital, we assumed that the worst was over, but unfortunately it was only going to get worse, with a horrendous journey by land across Europe to get home to the UK.
“It was the worst four days of my life.”
The fall had a huge impact on Jordan and his family.
Chloe explained: “It was a horrendous ordeal for us as a family.
“I had to leave Jordan in Crete to bring our young children back home on the flight, and it was devastating to be separated from him, and I was so worried about his injuries and how the journey home would affect him.
“I was not able to work after the accident as Jordan needed me, and our little girl Bessie suffered with anxiety, which was noted by her teacher. I wouldn’t want this to happen to any other family.”
Jordan’s mum has also suffered from the stress of the situation and had to take time off.
Although Jordan himself is now back at work, he says he still suffers from ankle pain, fatigue, headaches and sleep disturbance.
The couple also managed to get married, despite the accident ruining their initial plans.
The one positive note is that after complaining to the insurance ombudsman, he was able to recover the cost of his journey home from his insurers.
But now he’s hoping to take Tui to court over the incident with the help of JMW Solicitors.
Jordan said: “When you book a holiday to a 5-star hotel for your wedding with a tour operator like Tui, you expect a certain level of care and to be safe, but Tui failed to step in when we needed help.”
Joanne Brine, a partner at the legal firm representing Jordan, said: “Jordan’s accident took place in May 2018, yet to this date Tui has failed to comply with the usual protocol that we follow, nor to substantively respond, offer any apology or explanation for the despicable way this young man was treated.
“His fall – over an inexplicably low, unfit-for-purpose landing wall – not only ruined what should have been the best day of his life, but left him fighting for his life.”
A spokesperson for Tui said: “We are very sorry to hear of Mr Burrows’ experience in Crete.
“As this is now a legal matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
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