For those of you who read my posting on August 16 ("American College Student Falls From Window Overlooking Cliffs"), a reader passed along information today about a tragic accident that happened in Sorrento (Italy) a little over a week ago, whereby Briton Dyne Knox, 27, a stockbroker from Parsons Green, West London, slipped and fell about 150 feet down a steep gully (Vallone dei Mulini), while walking with three friends from the UK. Unfortunately, Knox was reportedly drunk and apparently lost his balance, causing the fall.
Fire crews and mountain rescue teams promptly got to the scene, but because it was about 0300 in the morning when the accident happened and the terrain dangerous, it took first responders nearly three hours to bring Knox up to the surface where there their emergency units. were He was then rushed to a local hospital where emergency surgery resulted in his spleen being removed. Yet, some twelve hours after the fall, his condition worsened at which he died from internal injuries. Knox and his friends checked into a local hostel upon arriving from the UK.
COMMENT: It is always sad when a trip abroad with friends and so much promise results in accidental death. An obvious lesson learned for all of us is that excessive drinking and being in a foreign, unknown environment don't go well together. Another consideration when traveling abroad is to ensure that one has international medical treatment and evacuation insurance (e.g., International SOS, MEDEX, Europ Assistance, etc.) in the event of an accident or injury, as few domestic medical plans are accepted by hospitals and clinics abroad.
