Sister of Brit tourist left in a coma after breaking neck in freak balcony plunge speaks out
Kurt's family have been forced to borrow almost £50,000 to pay for his medical treatment
THE devastated sister of a Brit tourist left in a coma after breaking his neck in a freak balcony plunge has revealed the handrail "came away".
Kurt Russell, 32, fell from a three storey building on the island of Sint Maarten just two days after Christmas.
His sister Tyla, 28, has now spoken out to reveal how the horror unfolded.
She said: "He was helping a friend move and he somehow fell off the edge of the balcony.
"He grabbed the handrail and it came away with him as he fell straight to the floor."
Dad-of-two Kurt fractured his skull and neck and suffered a bleed on the brain but his lack of health insurance means the hospital are refusing to provide additional care until sufficient funds are provided.
His family have now had to borrow nearly £50,000 from friends and credit card companies to fly Kurt to the Cayman Islands for further surgery.
But doctors have warned Tyla and her family that further money will be required after Kurt comes out of theatre.
They have now set up a Just Giving page to help with further treatment costs.
Speaking about her brother's horrific situation, Tyla, from Welwyn Garden City, Herts, said: "I was devastated, absolutely devastated.
"My dad said he felt broken, my mum is so numb - it's just awful."
Kurt first travelled to Sint Maarten ten years to work on fishing boats and now splits his time between the luxury island and the UK.
He volunteered as a construction worker to help rebuild the Caribbean island after it was devastated by Hurricane Irma at the end of summer.
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Owing to the young age of his children, six-year-old Alexander and four-year-old Leah, the family have decided not to tell them about his accident.
"He loves his family and kids, they mean the world to him," added Tyla.
"He's one of a kind."
The crowdfunding page for Kurt can be found here:
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