Mum's Plea: Dangers of Rental Quad Bikes Abroad

An 18-year-old tourist from Peterborough, Alfie Moses, narrowly escaped death after a severe quad bike crash on the Greek island of Zante on June 15. The accident left him with 12 fractured vertebrae, 11 broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, a punctured lung, and a brain bleed. His mother, Kayley Posnett, had advised him against renting a quad bike, but he proceeded, leading to the near-fatal incident.

Posnett expressed her distress, stating that if Alfie hadn't been wearing a helmet, he likely would not have survived. Upon arriving at the hospital, she found her son in critical condition, fearing he might not return home. Compounding the trauma, the family discovered that their holiday insurance did not cover quad bike rentals, a common exclusion that many travelers overlook.

A GoFundMe campaign was initiated, successfully raising £40,000 to cover Alfie's transport, including a specialist flight back to Peterborough City Hospital. Posnett is now urging others to be aware that most travel insurance policies exclude quad bike accidents. She noted receiving messages from numerous parents whose children experienced similar injuries abroad, with a nurse in Greece describing these incidents as a yearly occurrence.

Alfie has since been transferred to Addenbrooke's, where doctors are assessing the need for back surgery and potential long-term implications of his brain bleed. His mother stressed the power and difficulty in steering quad bikes, pleading for young people to understand the risks. The family is grateful for his survival, though Alfie's future career as a bricklayer is uncertain.