A holidaymaker who was fighting for his life was also left with a huge £170,000 bill after he made a small but hugely costly pre-trip mistake.
Blake Gibb, from Adelaide, was travelling with two pals in Bali, Indonesia when he crashed a scooter. The Aussie slammed the vehicle into a cement wall after overshooting a turn. The crash was a nasty one, leaving Blake with multiple skull fractures and needing to be rushed to Bali's International Medical Centre, Nine News reported.
There he was put into a coma as he fought for life, later being transferred to a hospital in Adelaide in a serious condition. His mum Rosslyn Gibb told the publication that travel insurer Freely agreed to pay for Blake's hospital bills and transfer back to Australia - on the condition that she cover the bills if the claim was then denied.
"They (Bali doctors) decided to call the medivac team to get him back to Australia because they were concerned he wasn't going to make it," Rosslyn told Nine News.
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When the insurer did decline the claim, the family was left with a huge bill. It turns out that the young adventurer had not added additional motorcycle cover to the insurance policy he had taken out, despite it costing the equivalent of just £190,000.
"He could have easily paid it as it was only a few dollars," the mum said. In a bid to raise some of the money while Blake continues to recover in Royal Adelaide Hospital the family has launched a GoFundMe page.
"They informed us two days ago that his claims were denied and we must pay them back. I've always made sure my family has insurance to cover these things," Rosslyn wrote on the GoFundMe page of the insurance claim.
"Now I'm wondering why. I'm thankful that they at least got him home and each day Blake is making a little progress but he has a long road ahead. He has shown us he's a battler and is trying to communicate and stay positive. Today he is having facial reconstruction surgery and as a family we want to be able to focus on his recovery. "
Blake remains in intensive care in Royal Adelaide Hospital and should be moved to another ward in a few weeks before facing months of rehabilitation. His mum is confident he will make a full recovery.
"He does little things everyday like he can squeeze your hand or give you the thumbs up," she told Nine News. Rosslyn urged others to check their travel insurance carefully before they head on holiday.
She added: "He is greatly loved by his girlfriend siblings and parents and many friends."
A spokesperson for Freely said that they were pleased to get Blake back to Australia and wished him well in his recovery. The declined to comment further for privacy reasons. The company has been contacted for additional comment.