Trouble in Paradise by Simon Heptinstall

Holidays and travelling have a way of going horribly, horribly wrong. These travel tragedies sometimes seem like cartoon accidents, but there’s nothing funny about the disasters they can cause.

The tragic death of Karen Gibbs, 45, from Pontypridd – who died from injuries after falling off her chair while changing TV channels at a Mallorcan holiday flat – demonstrate that there can be deadly danger in the simplest of actions. After tales of chronic misfortune like these, all you can say is: make sure you have good travel insurance - for tragedy and bad luck can strike anywhere, anytime.

For once money and fame won't help. Even rich celebrities are not immune. Comedian Rik Mayall suffered serious injuries when his quadbike overturned while he was on holiday in Devon. And tragically, singer songwriter Kirstie MacColl was killed on a family Mexican seaside holiday when she was hit by a speedboat.

According to a recent survey, hellish holiday happenings are frighteningly common. During three months of summer, around 750,000 of our holidays were disrupted or ruined due to problems like theft, delays and injuries. One third of us lost property on our travels – the average value was £453 - and 182,000 needed medical treatment. Another survey showed that 25 times more travellers are killed abroad in accidents than by infectious diseases. Perhaps the excitement of being away persuades us to take much bigger risks.

And here’s a sobering thought: even when you get back home you’re not safe, yet. Premiership goalie Richard Wright of Everton seriously injured his shoulder two summers ago while putting away the suitcases after his family holiday.

Case study one - Bernie and his caravan holiday

It was a leisurely afternoon in the English countryside. Pensioner Bernie McEneany was just drinking a cup of tea under his caravan awning while his wife took the dog for a walk.

Bernie seemed to be settling down for a nice safe holiday in Staffordshire. Suddenly, out of the sky came a two-seater aircraft. It had lost control and dived right into the caravan, trapping 66-year-old Bernie underneath.

Thankfully, after five months in hospital with his injuries, Bernie is back home in Solihull, on the road to a full recovery.

Lesson

Bernie’s extraordinary accident – literally a bolt from the blue – shows you can never be totally free from risk, wherever you go and whatever you do on holiday.

Case study two - Sarah and the lamp-post

Sometimes there’s nothing to say other than it was just very, very bad luck. Like the time during a New York Thanksgiving holiday parade when the "M&M's Chocolate Candies" hot air balloon broke free, hit a lamp-post and snapped the top off. It fell onto two sisters below, 11-year-old Sarah Chamberlain and 26-year-old Mary from Albany. Sarah needed nine stitches on her head, and her older sister, who uses a wheelchair, got a bad bump on her forehead. Admirably, the family said they wouldn’t sue because it was "a freak accident," and "accidents just happen".

Lesson Accepting misfortune with good grace is the best way of putting it behind you.

Case study three - Andrew and the lawnmower

Cheshire county cricket captain Andrew Hall suffered a bizarre accident while he was visiting Australia. Andrew was a passenger in a car driving along a sunny road in Victoria. As they passed a council workman cutting the grass verge, the blades of his lawnmower hit a stone that shot into the road and through Andrew’s open car window, hitting him right in the forehead.

“I thought I’d been shot by a bullet,” he said. He was rushed to hospital for ten stitches. Afterwards, 30-year-old Andrew suffered from severe headaches but said: “I am just so happy to be alive.”

Lesson

Accidents can happen that no-one could possible forecast – so you always need the reassurance of travel insurance.

Case study four - Les’s fateful five minutes

One British family spent "six days in hell," because they missed their holiday cruise ship by five minutes …leaving them stranded in New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina hit. Doncaster teacher Les Watson, 44, and his family sheltered in a city centre hotel during the storm and floods for almost a week before being evacuated. "We had six days of hell without running water or air-conditioning,” said Les. “But at least we were not caught up in the violence."

Lesson

At home, being late isn’t going to hurt you. When you’re travelling, even a few minutes’ delay can lead to major problems.

Case study five - Pat’s leisurely cruise

It seemed like the start of a wonderfully relaxing holiday for retired sailor Pat Traynor, a disabled 63-year-old from Skelmersdale, as he set off on a leisurely cruise around Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Sardinia and France.

But the dream cruise turned into a nightmare when he fell from his bunk bed which had no safety rail, suffered severe concussion and bit through his tongue.

He was confined to his cabin but then two days later there was a fire. He was trapped in his cabin and no-one remembered to come and help him. He eventually escaped but on his return was diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Lesson

When it’s someone else’s fault don’t be afraid to claim compensation or take them to court. Pat did… and won £22,000 damages from the tour operator.

Case study six - Caroline’s catalogue of crocks

Accident-prone skier Caroline Theobald has broken her neck, injured her back and suffered a host of other serious injuries that have seen her not only airlifted to hospital, but flown home to months of painful treatment in the UK.

Caroline, 47, a self-employed businesswoman from Newcastle, says: "I am living proof you need adequate travel insurance. All my injuries have been caused by freak accidents.

“My first one, in my mid-20s, when I broke my neck and seriously injured my spine, was caused by a faulty ski. I fell forward and I was lucky I didn't cut my head off. I was taken by air ambulance to hospital, then flown home. My second accident was when my boot got stuck in the chair lift and I was thrown 12 feet. I again had to be airlifted off the mountain.” Caroline's third accident happened on a train in Switzerland when the luggage rack tumbled on top of her, leaving her unconscious for 90 minutes.

"By this point I was wised up and had everything covered by insurance, including six months of intensive physiotherapy. My accidents show you never know what is going to happen. I don't think anyone should go away on holiday without ensuring they are covered."

Lesson

As she says, don’t go anywhere without travel insurance – and make sure it covers the activities you will be doing.

Final case study – me

I’m a professional travel writer for national newspapers, magazines and websites. If I can’t avoid trouble, what chance do ordinary holidaymakers stand?

My travel experiences have included having my passport stolen at the point of a machine gun, crashing into a snow fox on a lonely snowy mountain road in the early hours and checking into a big spooky hotel to find that I was the only guest.

I’ve arrived to find myself in the middle of a civil war, got a flat tyre in the Arabian Empty Quarter, caught a steam train that ran out of coal and once arrived at the finest hotel in the Crimea to be told that there was a dispute over the water supply from neighbouring Ukraine. The water was to be cut off to the whole area indefinitely so I was told to fill my bath to the brim and use that for flushing the toilet and washing for the remainder of my stay.

And I once shared a train compartment all the way to Copenhagen with a man who promptly had a nervous breakdown, took off all his clothes and started doing press ups on the floor. The police were waiting on the platform at Copenhagen Station and I spent the rest of the night filling in forms and answering questions. And I was only going there for the weekend.

And worst of the lot – my wife once dropped me just in time for a flight from Bristol airport departures, waved goodbye… and drove off with all my luggage in the boot. It seems that when you’re travelling, things can go wrong when you least expect them.

Lesson

The things that go wrong can be the most interesting part of travel. I’ve made a living from reporting my holiday disasters.