A father has been awarded £9,000 in compensation from easyJet Holidays after he sliced his foot open on broken swimming pool tiles while rescuing a struggling child during a package holiday in Fuerteventura.
The man, who travelled from Bristol Airport to the Canary Islands, was staying at the Oasis Dunas resort when he spotted a young girl in difficulty in the pool. He dived in to help and carried the child to her mother, only then realising his foot was gushing blood. He later required 14 stitches at a local clinic.
The father, a scuba diving instructor, criticised the lack of maintenance, stating: 'There was no preventative maintenance on the pool. People were getting in and they couldn't see what was under the water. It's neglect.' He reported the injury to the hotel and contacted easyJet's customer support team.
After returning to the UK, he received a tetanus jab and his stitches were removed, but the wound took months to heal and remains painful. Represented by Hudgell Solicitors, Anne Thomson argued that easyJet Holidays had failed in its duty of care. The travel firm agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £9,000 for the man's injuries and loss of holiday enjoyment.
An easyJet Holidays spokesperson said: 'We're really sorry to hear about this incident. The health and safety of our customers is our highest priority, which is why we ensure all of our hotels meet our high health and safety standards.'
