A Bali tourist has shared an urgent warning to fellow travelers to be extra cautious when driving in Bali.
While driving in Bali as a tourist has proven to be an all too dangerous endeavor for many, traveler Angel Willows has shared her unexpected ordeal as a warning to tourists to be safe rather than sorry.
28-year-old British tourist Angel Willows was on vacation with her cousin in Bali when their adventure got turned upside down.
The pair crashed their rented motorcycle into a pole, but the injury Willows sustained could have been avoided.
As Willows was wearing flip-flops on her motorcycle, her foot was exposed to the full-force trauma of the collision.
As the duo hit the concrete, both the bike and her cousin fell on top of her. To make matters worse, the metal bike stand impaled her foot, resulting in a deep and serious wound.
With so many drivers, both local and tourists, failing to wear helmets and wearing only flip-flops while driving, Willows’ story is a timely call to check in with safety basics.
The pair attended a Bali hospital after the crash but were left unsatisfied by the care they received. Willows told the press that her cousin had to inform the nursing staff that the wound would need a deep clean before proceeding with stitches.
Willows explained, “‘I was in shock; I thought I just needed a plaster initially. We went to the closest emergency place, and they gave me stitches. It was a bad job. My cousin is a nurse, and she was having to give them instructions.”
With the situation going from bad to worse, after getting the wound seen again at a local pharmacy, Willows and her cousin traveled to Sydney, Australia, to seek higher-quality care.
Once assessed by doctors in Australia, Willows was told that the wound was so bad that there was a genuine risk she could have lost her foot.
Willows explained to the media, “To be honest, I didn’t realize how bad it was until I got to Australia. I just thought I’d be in and out with more stitches, but it was much worse than I originally thought.”
She added, ‘It just didn’t stop bleeding after they stitched it up – I had to have my foot just over a bucket whilst it filled up with blood. It was turning a horrible color.”
Willows has gone on to have several surgeries to treat the wound. Upon arrival at the hospital in Sydney, she first underwent a washout surgery, which also enabled doctors to weigh up treatment options.
Willows explained, “They said I was lucky that I got there when I did. I had a wound washout surgery the first day I got there – I think I still had grit in the wound.”
Yet, there was more work to be done to save her foot and treat the wound. The doctors had to make the call to perform what is known as a skin flap surgery on the top of her foot.
This involves taking a part of the skin from the groin area to graft onto the exposed wound.
Willows revealed, “They did the washout three times, but as the skin kept dying, they told me they’d need to take a chunk from my leg to replace it. They prepared me and said I’d have to look at the open wound, and I had to stand under the shower with my bone exposed and wash it out before surgery.”
She continued It was painful and a bit of a shock, but they were injecting me with morphine throughout. Then they marked out where they were going to take the skin from on my groin before putting me to sleep. After I woke up, I needed a boot to learn to walk again, which took a couple of months.”
Willows concluded, “I’ve got what kind of looks like a big birthmark on top of my foot now – it’s just part of my story… I’ve been super cautious when riding [mopeds] now – always trainers. If I had trainers on, I certainly don’t think it would have been as bad.”
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Beach Bum Bill
Wednesday 4th of September 2024
I have to put in a 'good word' for the medical treatment that I received at Sanglah Medical Hospital. I had a scooter 'accident' in January (I was hit by an ambulance that just kept going), receiving 7 broken ribs and a destroyed scapula. I started at a local clinic, progressed to a small scale hospital and ended up in Sangladh, based on the recommendations of the first wtwo medical sites. The Balinese Drs would not let me return to America for treatment by military doctors due to the risk of the broken ribs puntcturing my lung during transit. After 7 hrs of surgery by two surgical teams, and a 5 day hospital stay~ I was released to my home in Bali for 3 week of follow up appointments. When I arrived in San Diego, the Military Drs were very impressed with the surgical outcome and said the care I received was top notch and they needed to do nothing more other than prescribe extensive physical therapy. In Bali, you receive the treatment that you are willing to pay for. You need not 'settle' for less!
BaliEyeWitness...
Thursday 5th of September 2024
@Beach Bum Bill, how much did it cost?
Karen
Monday 2nd of September 2024
And they passed a law that you must wear proper footware.
Shorty
Monday 2nd of September 2024
I find it difficult to accept this version of events without Bali Sun contacting the unnamed hospital for their version.
Was alternative treatment suggested and refused?
When it became obvious treatment wasn't working was she advised of necessary alternatives available here, yet refused?
Did she seek alternative opinion here?
Did she follow the treatment regimen?
What was the time gap between injury and the decision to fly to Australia?
Randy
Monday 2nd of September 2024
Seasonal Tourists without any sort of training are taking their own damn risk to rent a motorcycle on the open Balinese roads. Asian foreign tourists in particular know how to navigate in Bali because they follow the rules and work together with the Indonesians on the road. Unlike some entitled tourists who think that they know the roads well and do not necessarily work together with the Indonesians in traffic. Driving under the influence, or driving erratically to show off for their Instagram or YouTube sensation and gaining likes. And then blame the locals for their own stupidity, no wonder tourists may become public enemies in Bali.
Since when Westerners own motorcycles let alone cars in their own country of origin, tax and insurance can add up to the cost of owning one. Public transportation is one way to get around where as in Bali the public mode of transportation is non existent. Therefore Western tourists depend on renting scooters in Bali. Should they break the law or being stupid on the road, then they are asking themselves to get into troubles. Many accuse the local authorities of scapegoating the foreign tourists. Seriously...au contraire, they want to make sure tourists are safe and follow the rules. Therefore, everyone can enjoy a safe holiday.
There was a recent article worth reading in the Independent titled “ Bali says it must make changes to stop tourist becoming public enemies”. Viral videos on social media have shown bad behaviors perpetrated mostly by foreign tourists and also by a few Indonesian visitors to the island. A recent one that went viral on social media at a renowned hotel in Nusa Dua where a white tourist decided to put his head in a big bowl of water filled with red flowers. The bowl cracked and slid down and in the process he fell backward with water all over him. No one was injured but the whole situation was quickly blamed on social media that the management may be responsible for his stupid incident. Seriously now...Who in the world would soak his head in a water meant to be a decorative display at a hotel.
James
Wednesday 4th of September 2024
@Randy, Hi Randy, If you truly believe the Balinese "work together" in traffic... Come on. That is a ridiculous statement.
You write: "Unlike some entitled tourists who think that they know the roads well and do not necessarily work together with the Indonesians in traffic. Driving under the influence, or driving erratically to show off for their Instagram or YouTube sensation and gaining likes. And then blame the locals for their own stupidity, no wonder tourists may become public enemies in Bali."
A very one-sided argument you make here. Sure, there are a couple, but by far not the majority. 99% - but let's say 90% - of the Western people have a legit license and know about road-placement and the number one rule: looking ahead, paying attention to your surroundings. It is exactly this that the Balinese never do while driving.
Tourists are made public enemy because the Balinese are afraid to look into the mirror. Who is responsible for Bali, the tourists or the Balinese? You think this would fly in Tokyo, Oslo, Melbourne or Singapore? And how come? What's the difference? Exactly. You can only expect normes and values from tourists based on the ones you uphold yourself.
J West
Monday 2nd of September 2024
Local kids pumped on Russian schoolyard crack …Aussie Twats pissed on Bintang…no doubt why Bali is the deadliest holiday destination for young British tourists. Seriously, would you go if you knew in advance that Bali is statistically more dangerous than a war zone according to IATA?
Shorty
Tuesday 3rd of September 2024
@J West,
????
What drugged up local kids or pissed Australians were involved in Willow's accident?