A British tourist has issued a stark warning about wearing inappropriate footwear on motorbikes after a horrific crash in Bali left her with a severe foot injury that nearly led to amputation. Angel Willows, 28, from Guildford, Surrey, was riding a moped with her cousin when they hit a pothole, causing the scooter to fall and impale her left foot on the metal side stand.
The impact of the crash, combined with the weight of the scooter and her cousin, drove the stand through her foot, leaving the bone exposed. Willows, who was wearing flip-flops at the time, was rushed to a local hospital in agony. However, she claims her cousin, a nurse, had to instruct staff to clean the wound properly before it was stitched.
After receiving stitches, Willows' foot continued to bleed heavily and turned a worrying yellow colour. She had it redressed by a chemist before her cousin advised seeking further medical attention in Australia, where they still had days left on their visa. Upon arrival in Sydney, doctors informed her that the wound was badly infected due to poor stitching and that she could lose her foot.
Willows underwent three wash-out surgeries to clean the wound, but her skin failed to heal, turning black and yellow. Doctors eventually performed a skin flap surgery, removing dead skin and grafting tissue from her groin onto her foot. After a month in hospital, she was discharged and is now recovering in Australia.
Reflecting on the incident, Willows said: 'I've been super cautious when riding them now - always trainers. If I had trainers on I certainly don't think it would have been as bad.' She now has a birthmark-like scar on her foot but accepts it as 'just part of my story.'
