Young dad fights for life after quad bike accident

10:41am Saturday 13th October 2012 in News

A YOUNG father is fighting for his life in hospital after being involved in a quad bike accident on a Greek island.

Ash Williamson, aged 23, was on holiday in Heraklion, Crete, with his girlfriend, Natalie Rigg, when he was seriously hurt on Sunday.

He is being kept unconscious in hospital and family and friends are praying he will pull through. He was woken for a short time last night and is showing signs of improvement.

The couple had gone on a last minute week-long break and were due to fly home on Tuesday.

The details of what happened to him are unclear, but it is understood he had gone for a drive on his own and Miss Rigg had stayed at their hotel.

His brother, 26-year-old Nicky Lomax, from Halliwell, said: “He was on his own at the time when it happened so no one really knows what happened.

“We won’t know until he wakes up properly and tells us.

“We are not sure on the extent of his injuries. He has been woken up once, but the doctors have put him back to sleep.

“He is a fighter, we are praying for him to pull through.

“It has been very stressful, we have hardly slept since we found out.”

The resort where the couple were staying is two hours away from the hospital and Miss Rigg is travelling each day to see him.

His father, Antony Williamson, has also gone over and his mother, Julie Lomax, has also flown out to be at his bedside.

A page on the social networking website, Facebook, Prayers for Ash Williamson, has been set up with updates on his condition.

Friends and family are now collecting money to help support the couple as it is not known how long Mr Williamson will be in hospital in Crete.

Friend Stephen Rigg, who set up the page, said: “The support has been overwhelming and people have pulled together.

“We are updating the page with the information we are getting, but we don’t know what is properly going on because of the language barrier.

“People are asking if they can help, so we have set up a Paypal account and are putting buckets in local businesses so people can donate money to help the family.

“They are having to organise flights, sort out accommodation and other costs, so every little helps.”

Mr Williamson is from Halliwell and has a threeyear- old son with a previous partner. He went to Withins School.

People can donate through Paypal — the link can be found on the Facebook page, which now has more than 1,500 likes.

Collection buckets will be at Elite Boxing at Wordsworth Mill, The Claremont Arms in Halliwell Road, The Cotton Tree in Prince Street, the Brown Cow Salon in Halliwell Road, Lady Muck Hair, Beauty and Spa in Halliwell Road and The Castle and Starkie Arms pubs in Tonge Moor Road.

Comments (19)

5:51pm Sat 13 Oct 12

Sirrius7 says...

Holiday Insurance has evidently not been taken out: I have scant sympathy for this family, people do holidays on the cheap then when things go wrong, expect everyone to help them out. And as for setting up a PayPal account! If anyone has cash to spare, give it to Macmillan Nurses, not this lot.
Holiday Insurance has evidently not been taken out: I have scant sympathy for this family, people do holidays on the cheap then when things go wrong, expect everyone to help them out. And as for setting up a PayPal account! If anyone has cash to spare, give it to Macmillan Nurses, not this lot. Sirrius7

6:24pm Sat 13 Oct 12

st3r1gg says...

sirrius hows about keeping your **** little comments to your self , did your parents not teach you , if you aint got nothing good to say dont say nothing at all , p.s im the creator of the page and running donations
sirrius hows about keeping your **** little comments to your self , did your parents not teach you , if you aint got nothing good to say dont say nothing at all , p.s im the creator of the page and running donations st3r1gg

6:33pm Sat 13 Oct 12

Elisekay says...

Hope ash is fighting thinking of u n your family ash hope all will be good fingers crossed !!! And I u have nothing nice to say dot say anything at all idiot get well soon Ashley
Hope ash is fighting thinking of u n your family ash hope all will be good fingers crossed !!! And I u have nothing nice to say dot say anything at all idiot get well soon Ashley Elisekay

6:34pm Sat 13 Oct 12

vicki-jayne says...

sirrius who the hell do u think u r ...holiday insurance do NOT pay until u get bk in the country so stick tht in ur pipe n smoke it ....and scant sympathy i can tell you were to stick tht as well ....i agree macmillan nurse should get money also n most ov r family do donate to them ...n keep ya nose away from where it doesn't belong believe u me it certainly aint want !!!!!!! ...p.s im his cousin !!!!
sirrius who the hell do u think u r ...holiday insurance do NOT pay until u get bk in the country so stick tht in ur pipe n smoke it ....and scant sympathy i can tell you were to stick tht as well ....i agree macmillan nurse should get money also n most ov r family do donate to them ...n keep ya nose away from where it doesn't belong believe u me it certainly aint want !!!!!!! ...p.s im his cousin !!!! vicki-jayne

6:43pm Sat 13 Oct 12

Scott625 says...

Sirrius7 what an idiot you clearly are that young dad is my cousin who is fighting for his life so who do you think you are saying that kind of crap on here I think if it was one of your family in this position you would do all in your power to get them home safe insurance or no insurance so keep your mouth shut because stupid comments like yours are not needed at a time like this!
Sirrius7 what an idiot you clearly are that young dad is my cousin who is fighting for his life so who do you think you are saying that kind of crap on here I think if it was one of your family in this position you would do all in your power to get them home safe insurance or no insurance so keep your mouth shut because stupid comments like yours are not needed at a time like this! Scott625

7:00pm Sat 13 Oct 12

riggi2012 says...

sirrius wat a spanner u r they both have insurance but like wat was said before u need to pay up front y dont u just shut up nobody is asking u for any thing,get a life and leave these kids alone i the girls dad
sirrius wat a spanner u r they both have insurance but like wat was said before u need to pay up front y dont u just shut up nobody is asking u for any thing,get a life and leave these kids alone i the girls dad riggi2012

7:20pm Sat 13 Oct 12

PV_Serenissimus says...

Dear Sirrius7,unlike the posters above me,I too have no ties to the young man,but did you even care to notice that he is a parent?Can you comprehend that a life is at stake and that more may change infinetely if his condition deteriorates?Cynicis
m I resent,but I have zilch tolerance for such snide,ignorant behaviour.As for the family,they expect SUPPORT,help is a little something you might need instead.

In any event,I hope the lad recovers as soon as possible.I have relatives who spent their vacations in Crete this summer and they told me that hospitals there are barely making it through the successive cuts,but the staff are doing the best they can to hold the system together.We still have heros...
Dear Sirrius7,unlike the posters above me,I too have no ties to the young man,but did you even care to notice that he is a parent?Can you comprehend that a life is at stake and that more may change infinetely if his condition deteriorates?Cynicis m I resent,but I have zilch tolerance for such snide,ignorant behaviour.As for the family,they expect SUPPORT,help is a little something you might need instead. In any event,I hope the lad recovers as soon as possible.I have relatives who spent their vacations in Crete this summer and they told me that hospitals there are barely making it through the successive cuts,but the staff are doing the best they can to hold the system together.We still have heros... PV_Serenissimus

7:20pm Sat 13 Oct 12

mndyjnes says...

Sirrius, take ur scant symphathy and do one! How would u like it if anything bad happened to any of ur family and some heartless idiot like u opened their trap with negative crap! Think about other people and not urself! #selfishidoit
Sirrius, take ur scant symphathy and do one! How would u like it if anything bad happened to any of ur family and some heartless idiot like u opened their trap with negative crap! Think about other people and not urself! #selfishidoit mndyjnes

7:45pm Sat 13 Oct 12

TanyaBrooks says...

Obviously some humans lack the emotional capability to feel sympathy n empathy for a young dad family at such an emotional and difficult time!!! Ive kniwn ash all my life and hes a very very popular chappy!! The amount of support from people that dnt no him is over whelming!! Dnt let one fool spoil all the hard work that everyone is putting in!! Come on ash...u can do it babe
Obviously some humans lack the emotional capability to feel sympathy n empathy for a young dad family at such an emotional and difficult time!!! Ive kniwn ash all my life and hes a very very popular chappy!! The amount of support from people that dnt no him is over whelming!! Dnt let one fool spoil all the hard work that everyone is putting in!! Come on ash...u can do it babe TanyaBrooks

12:33pm Sun 14 Oct 12

Lancashire always says...

Fortunately g&*^%$*"s like sirruis are few and far between.
God speed a safe recovery and hope he gets home soon to a lot of love flowing from the positive messages.
Fortunately g&*^%$*"s like sirruis are few and far between. God speed a safe recovery and hope he gets home soon to a lot of love flowing from the positive messages. Lancashire always

3:15pm Sun 14 Oct 12

tr1kky says...

Sirius it's not sympathy you should be showing, but compassion for someone's son/brother/friend/b
oyfriend/uncle/grand
son/friend etc who has been seriously hurt. I'm sure that with all the worrying the family must be going through, the last thing they need is some idiot like you making such a selfish uncaring comment! I hope ash's family and friends take comfort from all the good wishes and ignore anything negative, it's not worth your time xxxxx get well soon ash and god bless you and your family xx
Sirius it's not sympathy you should be showing, but compassion for someone's son/brother/friend/b oyfriend/uncle/grand son/friend etc who has been seriously hurt. I'm sure that with all the worrying the family must be going through, the last thing they need is some idiot like you making such a selfish uncaring comment! I hope ash's family and friends take comfort from all the good wishes and ignore anything negative, it's not worth your time xxxxx get well soon ash and god bless you and your family xx tr1kky

5:40pm Sun 14 Oct 12

steveG says...

Looks like Sirius isn't popular.
Looks like Sirius isn't popular. steveG

5:48am Mon 15 Oct 12

oftbewildered2 says...

what the heck do we have Consuls for if not to assist in this type of emergency? What a terrible predicament to be in. Has all insurance sunk to the state where you have to pay up front and be reimbursed later? Just had a similar conversation with my motor insurers. Not everyone can get their hands on cash to pay up front; not everyone can get credit, through no fault of their own. The stress of dealing with this accident is bad enough, without having to fight for the cash to get the lad home. This family needs cash so that they can be with their loved on so far away from home while he is so ill. I know someone who had a similar problem with an accident in the UK - it cost an arm and a leg to keep travelling to the other end of the country to see him while he was in intensive care.
what the heck do we have Consuls for if not to assist in this type of emergency? What a terrible predicament to be in. Has all insurance sunk to the state where you have to pay up front and be reimbursed later? Just had a similar conversation with my motor insurers. Not everyone can get their hands on cash to pay up front; not everyone can get credit, through no fault of their own. The stress of dealing with this accident is bad enough, without having to fight for the cash to get the lad home. This family needs cash so that they can be with their loved on so far away from home while he is so ill. I know someone who had a similar problem with an accident in the UK - it cost an arm and a leg to keep travelling to the other end of the country to see him while he was in intensive care. oftbewildered2

11:21am Mon 15 Oct 12

MarkAllRead says...

You cannot be Sirius!

Doesn't an EHIC card cover this kind of thing? Secondly, surely travel insurance isn't paid out in retrospect. Perhaps for losses, but for ongoing treatment?
You cannot be Sirius! Doesn't an EHIC card cover this kind of thing? Secondly, surely travel insurance isn't paid out in retrospect. Perhaps for losses, but for ongoing treatment? MarkAllRead

11:26am Mon 15 Oct 12

MarkAllRead says...

If the holiday insurance will ultimately pay out, will the people who donated at this stage get their money back? Just wondering.
If the holiday insurance will ultimately pay out, will the people who donated at this stage get their money back? Just wondering. MarkAllRead

11:57am Mon 15 Oct 12

_A5HA11_ says...

Some hatred for Sirrius7, but I don’t see why??? Maybe he has put some harsh things down (but that’s freedom of speech isn’t? can say what you want) but he's right why pay for some who doesn’t take time to pay for insurance probs would have been £20 max for like a week, and insurance won’t pay out until you’ve paid the bill yourself I don’t believe that (say the bill is £10,000 and your guys pay it through donations and what not then the insurance pays you guys £10,000 are you going to give everyone their money back or keep it? I don’t know I’ve never had to use my holiday insurance) and if so maybe reading the T&C’s (terms and conditions) would of highlighted this issue and a change of insurance would have been a good idea but that’s all in hindsight and for the, vicki-jayne riggi2012 to come on here and start telling people what they can and can’t say is wrong everyone has a right to express what they want, you may not like it but that life, and st3r1gg if you’re the creator of the donations page and you come on here with an aggressive manor as well as the family of Ash come on here with an aggressive manor would make people reading this less inclined to donate to the cause, but all in all I hope guy makes a full and speedy recovery
Some hatred for Sirrius7, but I don’t see why??? Maybe he has put some harsh things down (but that’s freedom of speech isn’t? can say what you want) but he's right why pay for some who doesn’t take time to pay for insurance probs would have been £20 max for like a week, and insurance won’t pay out until you’ve paid the bill yourself I don’t believe that (say the bill is £10,000 and your guys pay it through donations and what not then the insurance pays you guys £10,000 are you going to give everyone their money back or keep it? I don’t know I’ve never had to use my holiday insurance) and if so maybe reading the T&C’s (terms and conditions) would of highlighted this issue and a change of insurance would have been a good idea but that’s all in hindsight and for the, vicki-jayne riggi2012 to come on here and start telling people what they can and can’t say is wrong everyone has a right to express what they want, you may not like it but that life, and st3r1gg if you’re the creator of the donations page and you come on here with an aggressive manor as well as the family of Ash come on here with an aggressive manor would make people reading this less inclined to donate to the cause, but all in all I hope guy makes a full and speedy recovery _A5HA11_

10:46am Tue 16 Oct 12

warbydad says...

Sirrius7 has had enough attention now. Ignoring the ignorance would be more appropriate and effective.

Let's change the subject and get positive.
Lets all wish, cross our fingers, pray to our God or Gods for a speedy and complete recovery for Ash.
Sirrius7 has had enough attention now. Ignoring the ignorance would be more appropriate and effective. Let's change the subject and get positive. Lets all wish, cross our fingers, pray to our God or Gods for a speedy and complete recovery for Ash. warbydad

12:46pm Fri 19 Oct 12

vicki-jayne says...

_A5HA11_ ....i agree what your saying about freedom of speak but there's a time and a place and this certainly isn't it ....as for their insurance i don't see what they will pay out is any of your business and it isn't a concern of anyone's as we are not asking people to donate to pay his medical bills ...so as for your freedom of speech i would prefer it if you took it else were as we have more important things than this to contend with right now
_A5HA11_ ....i agree what your saying about freedom of speak but there's a time and a place and this certainly isn't it ....as for their insurance i don't see what they will pay out is any of your business and it isn't a concern of anyone's as we are not asking people to donate to pay his medical bills ...so as for your freedom of speech i would prefer it if you took it else were as we have more important things than this to contend with right now vicki-jayne

9:15pm Fri 19 Oct 12

_A5HA11_ says...

Fair enough, hope he makes a speedy an full recovery,
Fair enough, hope he makes a speedy an full recovery, _A5HA11_

Comments are closed on this article.

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