Australian mum’s overseas ski trip turns to nightmare following horror US accident

It was set to be the holiday of a lifetime, exploring the slopes half a world away with her family. In a second, everything came to a halt.

It was set to be the holiday of a lifetime, exploring the slopes half a world away with her family.

But for Sydney mum Holly Bisnette — her dreams came crashing down (quite literally) when the 52-year-old took a tumble at a ski resort in Connecticut.

After a week spent in New York sightseeing, Holly and her family headed north for some family time and to visit a few local resorts.

“The kids and I were having a really great morning [on the ski fields] and I had just said to them, I feel like I’m skiing the best I’ve ever skied,” Ms Bisnette said.

“And that was the kiss of death for me.”

Aussie mum's ski trip ends after horror accident.

While taking to the slopes, the mother of two had a serious accident when she came around a corner and the tip of her ski hit a clump of ice on the ground.

Once she came crashing down, she knew things weren’t looking good.

“I haven’t skied my whole life, but I’d say I’m a confident mid-range skier,” she told news.com.au.

“But these things happen fast. I came around a corner, which I had done on multiple days, and a clump of snow that hadn’t been groomed out hit my ski. I clipped it and I fell and twisted badly on it.

“As soon as I fell I knew it was bad … it was very painful.”

Ms Bisnette’s daughter Lauren had been skiing alongside her and was just ahead when the accident occurred. As a result, Lauren was able to alert staff who made their way up the mountain. On site, they treated Ms Bisnette for shock and assessed her injury. But it wasn’t until she arrived at hospital that the full extent of her injury was made known.

“I was terrified to have my boot cut off … to have them really pull and twist on my leg,” she explained.

“But it was worse afterwards as I think I was in shock, so the pain hit a bit later and that gave me a bit of distress.”

Aussie mum's ski trip ends after horror accident.

Holly had the horror accident in 2023.

X-rays revealed that she had broken both her tibia and fibula (the calf and shinbone) as well as “a lot of other breaks from the ankle to midway up the calf” and would require emergency surgery.

According to Ms Bisnette, the injury is somewhat common in skiers, and is said to be particularly painful and almost always requires surgical intervention.

Prior to surgery, Ms Bisnette tested positive to Covid-19 which meant that in recovery — she was unable to see her children or husband, Brandon.

“The kids had to fly home and have their last week of holidays there, while Brandon and I stayed in the US, it was quite distressing and unsettling for them,” she said.

The medical bills for a broken leg mounted quickly, with Mrs Bisnette saying the total lingered around $120,000 along with their additional flight costs of $24,000. The family’s Airbnb cancellation fees were also factored in.

But unlike many who choose to go without travel insurance — according to research undertaken by the Insurance Council of Australia in 2023, 1 in 6 Aussies weren’t covered by insurance on their last overseas trip — Ms Bisnette ensured snow cover was included in her policy — meaning the six figure bill dwindled to zero.

Holly Bisnette has spoken out about her horror ski accident.

Holly Bisnette, a 52-year-old mother from Sydney, had a horror accident while skiing in the USA.

She said without travel insurance, which she had taken out with 1Cover to include snow and ski, she doesn’t know how they would have faced the bills.

“It’s the sort of stuff that could financially cripple people. I mean the ambulance alone was over $5,00,” she said.

“And the per night fee for the hospital was just ridiculous. Knowing that it would all be covered was a massive weight off our shoulders.

“I think if you can’t afford to pay for travel insurance you can’t afford to travel.”

According to 1Cover, the costs associated with medical treatment and rescue on the slopes are huge, with figures associated with an emergency rescue — such as a skidoo or helicopter evacuation — often soaring into the tens of thousands.

Data from Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) shows that injury rates can range anywhere between 1.5 and 3.9 injuries per 1000 skier days. Knee injuries are especially common, according to the statistics.