Tourist dies after hiding injuries to avoid invalidating travel insurance

A MAN injured on the holiday of a lifetime didn’t tell doctors what really happened, fearing the consequences. It turned out to be a fatal mistake.

British man Paul Schofield died as a result of injuries he sustained in a horseriding accident — but he didn’t want to tell doctors exactly what happened. Picture: Facebook

A BRITISH tourist bled to death after telling doctors he had slipped over, fearing the real reason for his injuries — falling off a horse — would invalidate his travel insurance, an inquest in the UK heard.

Paul Schofield was travelling through Iceland when he slipped off the back of the horse, heading to hospital to be treated for what he thought was cracked ribs, The Sun reported.

But the 58-year-old died after being handed painkillers and being discharged from the hospital by junior doctors.

The father of two, who had been travelling with partner Rosalyn Davies, failed to tell doctors about the horse riding accident, instead choosing to tell them about a second incident where he had slipped on volcanic dust which had fallen onto a pavement in the country’s capital Reykjavik.

The businessman was rushed by ambulance back to National University Hospital after collapsing in his holiday apartment with later tests showing he had suffered internal bleeding as a result of a ruptured spleen.

Doctors rushed to treat the man but he died after surgery.

Ms Davies told the Stockport hearing: “He told them about the second incident of failing in the street and not the first. He and I were concerned about our insurance cover at that time.

“We were worried that they would consider horse riding to be a dangerous sport. We didn’t appreciate at the time that the situation would become so serious and we thought that his injuries would be investigated at the hospital.”

The experienced horse rider was riding in Iceland when the accident happened. File picture: Brian Gratwicke

The 53-year-old said the couple had been on a full day trek with the Icelandic company offering full equipment for the trek, including waterproofs and riding hats.

She told the inquest: “We were asked if we had any experience riding before and we were split up into groups. I think it was to select a horse for us, there was a mix of experience.”

When asked if she or Mr Schofield had any concerns about their experience riding at that point and she said no.

“Everybody had a differing horse in the afternoon. I remember there was something wrong with Paul’s saddle. The leader of the group went to fix it and said that if it happened again to tell her,” she said.

“He did that again, and she went to another group to get something for him. It was some sort of gel blanket to put underneath the saddle.”

She further told the inquest about when she realised her partner had fallen off the horse.

She said: “I was looking back and at that point I saw that Paul wasn’t on his pony.

“I saw that he was on the floor and told the leader who went over to Paul.

“The leader went over to ascertain the problem with Paul and I think after a couple of minutes somebody asked me if I wanted them to hold my pony so I could go over to Paul.”

The 58-year-old told doctors he was injured when he slipped in Reykjavik.

She said the businessman had been in “a lot of discomfort, saying: ‘I think I may have cracked my ribs’.”

It was when the couple returned to their accommodation that Paul slipped and fell on the ash — the reason he told doctors he had suffered an injury.

She said: “I heard him cry out. I was in front of him again and I turned around he was getting up.

“At that point we decided he was in quite a lot of pain and it would be best to got to the local hospital.”

Doctors told the man he had three broken ribs and was given painkillers for the pain.

But once back at the apartment, Mr Schofield’s condition began to deteriorate.

Ms Davies said: “He asked me to help move him so he could get more comfortable. He was clammy.

“He was sick. I went to get a towel to help clean him up and when I came back he had gone floppy.”

The hearing was told the hospital later admitted Mr Schofield had been sent to the wrong department, and that there was also an IT issue with accessing the x-ray images so that the information was passed on orally and decisions made from that by junior members of staff.

It was also concluded that the hospital was operating on low staff with the busy hospital underestimating the man’s injuries.

Coroner Joanna Kearsley recorded a conclusion of accidental death and said: “There were a number of things that unfortunately weren’t spotted and that were missed by the hospital.

“It was the missed opportunity to consider the seriousness of injury on x-ray which probably would have resulted in a CT scan.

“It was the falling from the horse, it was that incident which led to the splenic rupture. I am satisfied it was the fall from the horse which prompted him to have those injuries.”

She thanked Icelandic authorities for preparing a thorough report into the man’s death.

Mr Schofield’s family released a statement, saying: “We just hope that it doesn’t happen again to anybody.

“The hospital have said that they are making changes. This is a good thing for other people.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.