Odyssey of horror Man infected on a cruise - now fighting for his life
Guy and Adrien Matlock are enjoying a cruise for their 37th wedding anniversary. However, this turns into a horror trip. Matlock suffers a cardiac arrest and is stranded in Denmark.
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- US-American Guy Matlock suffered a serious viral infection during a cruise in Denmark.
- This led to a cardiac arrest and artificial respiration.
- Matlock's family is collecting donations for a medical evacuation to the USA, which could cost up to 150,000 dollars.
- Outbreaks of illness on cruises are not uncommon; recently around 180 passengers on a Royal Caribbean ship fell ill with salmonella.
This is probably not how Guy Matlock imagined his 37th wedding anniversary - because the trip turned into a nightmare.
The 64-year-old from Colorado contracted a serious viral infection during a cruise in Denmark and was left stranded there, as reported by the New York Post.
Matlock was on a 14-day trip to celebrate his 37th wedding anniversary with his wife Adrien when he felt flu-like symptoms. These quickly developed into a dangerous combination of influenza A, pneumonia and sepsis that attacked his major organs.
The New York Post further reports that Matlock suffered a cardiac arrest on the ship and is now being treated in a Copenhagen hospital. He is unconscious and dependent on a ventilator. "It's very isolating in another country where you don't know the language and where the society is completely different," Guy's daughter, Moriah Matlock, told KDVR.
The family is trying to raise the necessary funds for a medical evacuation to the US, which can cost up to 150,000 dollars.
According to the New York Post, their GoFundMe campaign has raised over 30,000 dollars so far. "No one can explain the anxiety it can bring to see someone suffering so much," Moriah told WJTV.
Disease outbreaks on cruises are not an isolated case
As focus.de writes, there are repeated outbreaks of illness on cruise ships. Recently, there was also a mass outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship "Radiance of the Seas". According to "T-Online", around 180 passengers and three crew members fell ill while the ship was sailing off the coast of Alaska. Those affected complained of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches and muscle aches. The US health authority CDC identified salmonella as the cause. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson stated that the health and safety of guests, crew and the communities visited was a top priority.
Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, an infectious disease expert, explained on focus.de: "Such outbreaks occur frequently when many people are together in a confined space." Around 200 passengers on the luxury ship MV Ventura fell ill with similar symptoms back in the summer. One of those affected, nurse Jessica B., complained about the lack of hygiene on board and explained: "This was not the dream trip we had expected."
