A British pensioner described the “terrifying nightmare” of being stranded in the Philippines when his cruise ship departed without him after he fell into a coma.
Furious vacationer Christopher Capel, 72, boarded a P&O Cruises ship early this year and was just over halfway through a 100-day circumnavigation of the world when disaster struck.
After the ship docked on the island of Palawan in the Philippines on March 4, Christopher began to feel unwell and tried to go back to his room to lie down.
But the doctor aboard the ship sent him to the hospital instead.
By the time the medics had run all their tests and given him antibiotics for heat stroke, the cruise ship he was on had left port, stranding him about 7,000 miles from his home.
Furious vacationer Christopher Capel (right), 72, boarded a P&O Cruises ship early this year and was just over halfway through a 100-day circumnavigation of the world when disaster struck. After waking up from a coma, he contacted his niece Karen Williams (left) who has been working to help him come home from his ‘nightmare’
His insulin was still in his cabin, so his blood sugar dropped dangerously low, causing hypoglycemic shock that led to a brief diabetic coma.
He is now left in limbo and struggles to find a way home.
Mr Capel, a retired youth worker from Swindon, Wiltshire, said: ‘It’s been an absolute nightmare, and terrifying at times.
“P&O have breached their duty of care – I wouldn’t advise anyone over 70 to go on one of their cruises alone because I don’t have anyone fighting around my corner.
“I kept telling the nurses, ‘I need to get back to the ship,’ but they kept running more tests and asking about my breathing difficulties and chest pains when I had neither symptom.” I don’t know what they heard from the P&O doctor.
“When I went into a coma I wondered if that was it, if it might be the end, but the next morning I came to.
“I was then stuck in a hospital bed with nothing wrong with me, it was ridiculous. I should have been allowed back on board, it was not a serious health issue.
“I can’t believe how much power one person can have over your life, to just leave me in this mess. I have been treated so badly by these companies.’
After being stabilized, Chris borrowed a laptop to email his niece Karen Williams, who helped him contact P&O and Nationwide, his insurance company, in an attempt to resume his journey.
Chris says he feels in limbo even though he has now managed to get an insulin prescription. He has an intense fear of flying, so getting the nearly 7,000 miles home without the cruise ship is no easy task.
As of Wednesday, he had tentatively agreed to have a doctor and nurse fly him over to sedate him for the return flight, but this has now been canceled as he is considered ill to fly.
Christopher said, ‘I have two options, a cruise ship is coming in in April or I’ll be stranded here. I don’t know how long I’ll be out here – it’s ridiculous.
‘I want to go home [but] P&O has prevented me from boarding one of their cruise ships due to my medical issues. Everyone tells me I have complex medical issues, but they can’t tell me what they are.
“It looks like I’m in the middle of a stupid game,” he said.
His niece Karen Williams, 51, an office manager from Cornwall, said: ‘If he hadn’t had close family I don’t know what would have happened because these companies didn’t help, they left him to sort it out. herself.
“I worry that he’s alone on the other side of the world, in a place where he doesn’t speak the language. I just want him to get home safe.’
Mr. Capel, a retired youth worker from Swindon, is stranded on the Philippine island of Palawani – some 7,000 miles from his home
Pictured: A P&O cruise ship (file photo) sails the seas. Christopher Capel has accused the cruise line of ‘failing to fulfill their duty of care’
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “We are so sorry this happened to this guest.
“After seeking advice, we have been told that due to his critical medical needs, it is not feasible for him to return to the UK by ship.
“So our customer service team has been in constant contact with the guest and their insurance team to find an acceptable and safe alternative solution as their physical health and mental wellbeing is the priority in this case.”
Nationwide has been approached for comment.