Tourist suffers serious genital injury after cruise accident

The couple was taking part in a rope swing ride when one of the safety devices was installed incorrectly. According to Blake, the rope got caught between the tourist's legs as she launched herself, just before the fall.

NEW: Louisiana woman suffers a catastrophic genital injury in Honduras, forced to spend $50,000 on an emergency air evacuation back to the U.S. Kirsten Lindsey was injured during a daytime excursion on day three of a Carnival cruise. When she tried to release herself from a… pic.twitter.com/EPmYoqTbof

Kirsten initially thought she had just a scratch and tried to hide the pain on the way back to the ship. The situation, however, quickly worsened. The swelling increased, the pain became unbearable and she lost the ability to walk and was taken to the cabin in a wheelchair.

The tourist remained for more than 12 hours in the vessel's medical center, where she received care from the Carnival team. Even so, the region continued to swell, initially reaching the size of a baseball.

Given the seriousness of the case, professionals recommended a medical evacuation to Costa Maya, Mexico, where there was access to an airport. According to the family, Kirsten was already facing intense pain and had breathing problems caused by the painkillers.

“At one point, the medical team told me they were trying to keep her awake because she stopped breathing whenever she fell asleep due to the painkillers,” Blake said.

About 26 hours after the accident, the boyfriend decided to book direct air transport to the United States. Kirsten landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where she underwent her first surgery.

As her injuries prevented further travel by plane, she returned by car to Louisiana. Back in the state where she lives, she received care at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center and was hospitalized again after going to the emergency room on July 18.

Blake said doctors were surprised by the discharge granted by the previous hospital. According to him, the professionals who assessed the injury said they had never seen a similar case. The swelling in the intimate region would have reached the size of a grapefruit.

The medical team tries to prevent the patient from having permanent sequelae. Kirsten needed a second surgery and continues to recover.

Costs for rescue and treatment exceeded US$53,000, around R$270,000. The couple opened a crowdfunding campaign to try to pay off the debt.

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