Dad left with broken neck on Benidorm holiday after complete stranger's 'joke' goes horribly wrong
There are plenty of laughs to be had on a lads' holiday - but a playful prank ended up having dire consequences for this dad-of-two.
Martin Bullen, 31, was enjoying a much-needed break with his cousins in Benidorm last week when he broke both his neck and back while attending a pool party on 10 June.
The sales advisor, from Wigan, explained that he had been enjoying himself next to the pool with his group of pals when somebody who he 'didn't know' shoved him into the water 'as a joke'.
Insisting he 'wasn't drunk', Martin said he didn't realise how shallow it was when he fell in, so he attempted to dive into the pool - however, it wasn't as deep as he had believed.
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Painfully, the dad hit his head on the bottom and split it open, prompting concerned partygoers to rush to his aid.
There was thankfully an army medic among those at the pool party who was able to tend to Martin until an ambulance arrived.
The 31-year-old was then taken to a nearby hospital where he was given 16 stitches for his head wound, before being informed that he had fractured his neck in three places and had broken his back.
'I thought I was going to die on my own'
Recalling how he ended up with such horror injuries, Martin explained: "I was having a drink, but I had my wits about me and stuff.
"Somebody pushed me into the pool and I didn't know it was a shallow pool. I'm thinking, 'I'll just dive in and dive back up' - and my head hit the floor straight away and it split open my head.
"I can see how it could be portrayed dead easily as a boozy Brit in Benidorm who has done this, but to be honest with you, I wasn't drunk," Martin continued.
"It was a freak accident because I didn't know the pool was shallow. It was quite scary.
"I'll be honest, there was at one point I thought I was going to die on my own [in hospital] because I didn't know what was going on or who to talk to."
To make matters worse, the Wigan-born holidaymaker had made the 'stupid' mistake of not booking travel insurance before he flew off to Benidorm.
Martin explained that he had every intention of purchasing the protection, but got distracted before completing the transaction - so he had to fork out a significant sum for medical bills and travel arrangements.
He said the hospital stay and extra flights had set him back £1,500, which is why he is urging other travellers not to make the same 'daft mistake' as he did when heading on holiday this summer.
Martin's 63-year-old dad, Scott Bullen, flew to Benidorm to be at his bedside and was thankfully able to help him fork out for his medical bills.
"When I was in the hospital on my own I just needed my dad," Martin went on. "Then when my dad came it was all about, I needed to land back home."
The sales advisor was able to fly back to the UK on Monday (16 June) and headed to Wigan's Royal Albert Edward Infirmary to get checked out on home soil, with doctors finding five fractures in his neck and back.
Martin is now sporting a neck brace, while he complained that he can only walk or stand up for about five minutes before he needs to sit down - and he is still in the dark about when he will get back to himself.
He is awaiting further scans to find out the extent of the damage which being pushed into the pool caused and what his road to recovery will be like.
'I burst out in tears'
Now, Martin is raising money to pay his dad back while working towards getting back to full health.
"I'm not one of those idiots, I have a lot of responsibilities and I take pride in them," the sales advisor added. "I'm either a dad or I'm at work.
"I'm never Martin and that's what this time away was for me. I've got two boys full time on my own,.
"When the plane landed [my dad] was looking at me and I burst out in tears. Luckily my dad helped me with upfront costs, which I've got to pay back because he's retired.
"I know it's going to be a long road to recovery but I've got through the hard part, which was getting home and being around people who can support me."
A GoFundMe page set up for Martin's medical bills has already racked up more than £700 in donations. You can check it out here.
Olivia Burke