A 28-year-old woman was airlifted from her first-ever cruise after suffering catastrophic injuries during a zip-line excursion in Honduras, forcing doctors to perform emergency surgery. Kirsten Lindsey, from Bossier City, Louisiana, was injured on the third day of a Carnival cruise after a rope tightened between her legs as she launched from a zip-line platform.
Horror accident caught on camera
Video of the incident shows Lindsey stepping off the platform before the retrieval rope unexpectedly tightened between her legs instead of allowing her to swing freely. After struggling for several moments, she let go and fell into the water below. Initially believing she had only suffered minor scratches, Lindsey returned to the cruise ship. However, her condition rapidly deteriorated over the following hours.
Pain became unbearable
Her boyfriend, Blake Ford, said the swelling became severe and the pain so intense that she eventually required a wheelchair to return to their cabin. She was treated in the ship’s medical centre for around 26 hours, but her injuries became too serious to manage onboard. Ford said medical staff were forced to closely monitor Lindsey because the pain medication caused her to repeatedly stop breathing whenever she drifted off to sleep.
Emergency evacuation
The couple were medically evacuated from the ship after it arrived in Costa Maya, Mexico. Following an ambulance journey through severe weather, Lindsey was flown aboard a private medical aircraft to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she underwent emergency surgery. According to her mother, Tara McKinney, surgeons removed a baseball-sized blood clot during the operation.
Long road to recovery
Just one day after surgery, Lindsey and Ford began an 18-hour drive back to Louisiana. However, after arriving home, she was readmitted to the hospital, where local doctors reportedly questioned why she had been discharged so soon. Ford wrote on social media:
“Everyone that’s seen the injury has never seen anything like it but they are doing everything they can to prevent permanent damage to her.”
Mounting medical bills
The accident has also left the couple facing high financial costs. According to Ford, expenses include:
- Around $50,000 for the medical evacuation flight.
- Approximately $3,500 in onboard medical treatment.
- Additional costs for hospital care, accommodation, travel and lost income.
A fundraising campaign has since been launched to help cover Lindsey’s medical expenses. In a message thanking supporters, Lindsey wrote:
“Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts & prayers & everyone who has reached out, donated, etc. It’s very much appreciated. I feel so loved.
“Long road ahead as far as recovery. But I’m so thankful for everyone who has prayed & donated.”
The incident occurred during what was Lindsey’s first cruise holiday, which she had been enjoying with her boyfriend before the accident dramatically cut the trip short.
