With cheap travel insurance so widely available these days, most people can travel abroad safe in the knowledge that no matter what happens, their insurance will be able to compensate them if something goes wrong. With everything from petty theft to terrorist attacks, natural disasters and medical emergencies all covered by most insurance policies, there are few things that can occur that could really ruin your holiday.
However, sometimes luck just isn’t on your side. Every few years, someone experiences a travel catastrophe that is so outlandish, foolish or absurdly unlucky it simply beggars belief. Here are a few of the people who travel insurance simply couldn’t save…
Tom and Irene Lornegan
This is a story to chill the blood of any scuba diver. Whilst Tom and Irene Lornegan were diving in Australia, the head of the dive team incorrectly recorded them as being back on the boat when they were still underwater, and the boat then left without them. It was not until two days later that it was realised the couple had gone missing. Despite a massive search operation, their bodies were never recovered, and it is believed that they died either from dehydration or from a shark attack. Their story was the basis for the 2004 film Open Water.
Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard
If you make a habit of getting up close and personal to grizzly bears, sooner or later something is going to go badly wrong. Yet Timothy Treadwell spent 13 years living amongst the bears before the disaster that claimed his life. He felt a deep connection with grizzly bears and spent much of his time documenting and photographing them up close. But in 2003, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were attacked and killed whilst camping up in Alaska.
If you’re in the habit of getting close to grizzly bears, you can kiss any chance of getting cheap travel insurance goodbye!
Steve Irwin
Considering Steve Irwin made a career out of getting close to some of the world’s most dangerous animals, he was probably blacklisted by every insurer around. However, even if he did manage to get some it wouldn’t have helped him when he died in 2006. Whilst snorkelling around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, he was pierced through the heart by a stingray that he was swimming next to. Stingrays usually pose no threat to humans – this really was a one-in-a-million kind of accident.
Alexander Litvenenko
This was not an accident, but just goes to show that danger can come from the most unexpected sources. Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko ingested a fatal dose of the radioactive isotope polonium-210 whilst drinking tea at a restaurant in London. Despite sustained medical attention, he died of radiation poisoning three weeks later.
It has never been established exactly who was behind the killing, but if you’ve managed to attract the ire of the Russian secret services and/or the Russian mafia, I’m afraid cheap travel insurance isn’t going to help you out too much.
By: Patrick Chong
Posts Tagged ‘Insurance Policies’
Freak Accidents – When Travel Insurance Can’t Help You
April 25th, 2010Travel Insurance and Swine Flu – Are You Afraid to Travel?
October 7th, 2009
The fear of catching Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) may discourage many people from booking overseas travel and holidays. What if you get sick before your departure date, or fall ill while on holiday? Will travel insurance cover you? These are valid concerns.
Travel insurance should provide cover if you contract swine flu before leaving for your holiday, or fall ill while overseas. However, if you have booked a holiday and are otherwise healthy but merely change your mind about travelling because of fear of contracting swine flu it is unlikely that travel insurance will cover any associated losses. Travel insurance policies vary widely in the amount of medical care and payments they cover but most should provide for swine flu, just as any other medical condition. If in doubt always call and ask.
Check your travel insurance policy for adequate levels of medical cover and also that emergency medical evacuation and repatriation are included. If you are not satisfied with your policy there is normally a cooling-off period to cancel and find another as long as you have not commenced travel or made a claim.
If you have a temperature at the time of travel be aware that medical screening for swine flu is in place at airports in some countries of the world. There may be automatic temperature scanners to check passengers arriving on international flights, or temperatures may be checked with ear or oral thermometers. Those found to have high temperatures or showing symptoms of swine flu may be required to have further tests and be put into quarantine. Travellers have been held in quarantine after arriving at their destination airport in several countries, including China, Egypt, Singapore, Turkey and India.
If you book a package holiday it would be wise to check with your travel agent or tour operator to clarify their policy regarding holidaymakers who become ill while overseas. Be aware that airlines have the right to deny boarding to any passenger for health or hygiene reasons – which includes flu symptoms.
Regarding swine flu, those considered at special risk, such as older persons, pregnant women, babies, children under five, or patients with chronic medical conditions are advised to contact their doctor before arranging travel. Depending on the destination country, and availability of adequate medical facilities, your doctor may advise that you take a supply of antiviral medication (such as Tamiflu) with you.
Cruise passengers are screened before boarding ship, for obvious reasons, and those showing symptoms of swine flu or other illness could be denied boarding.
To find out the latest information and professional advice on Swine Flu, or any other disease outbreak in the world, talk to your doctor or search for information online. Start with any of the following websites:
The World Health Organization (WHO), National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of State, National Pandemic Flu Service at Directgov (UK), UK Border Agency, National Health Service (NHS -UK), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). For updated statistics of Swine Flu outbreaks by country and to view a map showing confirmed/possible/fatal cases visit Rhiza Labs/Google’s FluTracker website.
If you have travel plans it is sensible to be vigilant and avoid contact with people who may be infected with swine flu or any other illness. However, worrying obsessively about all the things that might happen to disrupt your travel plans might mean you will never leave home!
There is only so much you can do to avoid catching germs whether you are at home, at work, or on holiday. It is up to the individual to decide whether fear of catching swine flu will put an end to their travel fun. Unless a medical professional advises against travel, or there is an advisory in force against travel to a certain part of the world, it is best to keep swine flu in perspective – but be sure to take out adequate travel insurance if you do decide to go!
By: Jean Andrews
