A woman travelling on a working holiday to Australia has revealed that she's been left with a broken neck after being attacked by a magpie.
Chilean national Marcela Montalva Iriarte was enjoying a day off work in the remote town of Ravenswood, Queensland when she decided to cycle to the nearby post office.
The 30-year-old, who travelled to Australia with her boyfriend on a working holiday visa back in February, set off on the 2km (1.2 miles) route on 15 October when she was attacked out of the blue by a magpie while cycling.
Iriarte lost control of the bike during the attack and fell onto the road, losing consciousness after hitting the left side of her face on the ground.
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"I decided to ride to the post office, about 2km away from Top Camp Roadhouse where I work and live," Iriarte explained in a recent interview with 7News.
"Halfway there, I was suddenly attacked by a magpie, lost control of the bicycle, and fell hard on the road, hitting the left side of my face on the concrete.
She continued: "The last thing I remember is the sound — the magpie was screaming. Then everything went black."
Unlike magpies in the UK, which are not considered overly aggressive to humans, male Australian magpies are known to become aggressive during breeding season, often swooping and attacking perceived threats.
This includes pedestrians and cyclists who unknowingly get too close to magpie nests.
Iriarte woke up in the small mining town's medical unit before being transferred to Townsville University Hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
It was later confirmed that she had several fractures in her left cheekbone, as well as a fracture to her hyoid bone. Located in the neck, a fracture to the hyoid bone is not only rare but also dangerous, as the bone is responsible for controlling the tongue and swallowing.
"They told me I was lucky to be alive," she added.
Iriarte is now waiting for facial reconstructive surgery, adding: "I’m in pain. I can’t eat. I already lost 4kg since Wednesday because I can’t eat much. I can just eat baby food at the moment."
She continued: "I just wanted to do my visa for two years, travel around, get to know the Australian culture ... now I just want to go home."
The tourist also revealed on GoFundMe that her travel insurance company has refused to cover her medical bills, citing an initial report which claimed she was not wearing a helmet.
She has since been able to raise AU$12,000 (£5,000) in donations, something which she is extremely grateful for.
You can donate to her GoFundMe here.
Topics: World News, Travel, Health, Australia
Brenna Cooper