A man remains in hospital in critical condition after being found unconscious in Belfast city centre on Saturday, with police investigating a possible link to an assault
A man remains in hospital in a critical condition after he was discovered unconscious in Belfast city centre on Saturday.
Officers had received a call for assistance from colleagues in Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to attend Royal Avenue around 4:40pm on Saturday afternoon. Upon arrival, an unconscious male had been found and was receiving medical care from ambulance personnel before being rushed to hospital.
Detectives are now appealing for information from anyone who was in the area of Castle Place/Royal Avenue to come forward. A PSNI spokesperson said: “[The man] was conveyed to hospital and remains in a critical condition at this time.
“Officers are working to establish the events leading to this and are exploring a possible link to an earlier assault reported at 4:30pm, occurring in Castle Place.”, reports Belfast Live.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 1024 14/03/26.”
Meanwhile, a heartbroken family is “going through hell” as they fight to bring their critically ill relative home from Thailand. Marie Peacock, from Eston, became unwell five days after arriving in the country with her husband Ray.
Marie, 71, had been experiencing aches including a rigid neck but had prepared to return home for her flight on February 24. During their final evening, she dozed off but the next morning, Ray was unable to wake her.
In a coma, Marie was rushed to Bangkok Hospital in Koh Samui where doctors diagnosed her with bacterial meningitis. Her niece speaking to Teesside Live they were left devastated after learning she had sustained brain damage.
At that stage, they didn’t think Marie would wish to continue living in such a state and a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ document was completed. Marie explained her aunt remains in a serious condition but the most recent updates to the family indicate she is stable, and medical staff have declared her suitable to travel.
She has comprehensive cover worth £10m through Barclays Bank and Aviva but the family alleges they refuse to fund a medical aircraft to transport her home for additional evaluation.
An Aviva representative stated they were unable to discuss the specific case. Nevertheless, in a general response, they explained medical repatriation only goes ahead “if qualified doctors and consulted medical experts confirm it is safe to do so.”
Marie revealed they are questioning whether her aunt has suffered brain damage and are desperate to bring her back to the UK for a second opinion.
She said: “She is fighting this and we want some help to force the insurance to get her back to Teesside so we can get a second opinion on what damage it has done, as she is in a coma and has no voice.
“We were told she had extensive brain damage as a result of the meningitis which is why we all agreed to remove all meds and help her slip away. Even though she is still in a critical condition and her blood pressure is still really low, she’s still maintaining.
“So why aren’t the insurance company bringing her home? We want to give her every chance to get back to this country alive to be tested in James Cook Hospital.”