Louisiana woman suffers ‘catastrophic’ genital injury on cruise vacation, airlifted back to US: ‘Thought it was only a scratch’

A Louisiana woman’s first cruise vacation turned into a medical emergency after a rope swing excursion in Honduras left her with what her family described as a “catastrophic” injury, ultimately requiring an emergency air evacuation back to the United States for surgery. According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by her boyfriend, Blake Ford, the incident has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and an extended recovery.

According to Ford, Kirsten Lindsey, 28, was on the third day of a Carnival cruise when she participated in a rope swing excursion while the ship was visiting Roatán, Honduras. Ford alleges on the fundraiser page that a retrieval, or tag, line attached to the swing appeared improperly connected.

As Lindsey swung away from the platform, Ford reports that the line tightened between her legs. After that, she dropped into the water, causing what he described as a catastrophic saddle injury. “At first, she thought it was only a scratch. She even walked back to our transportation trying to laugh through the pain,” Ford wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Ford says Kirsten’s injury went from bad to worse

According to the fundraiser, Lindsey’s condition deteriorated rapidly over the following hours. Ford said the swelling became severe and the pain intensified. He said she eventually needed a wheelchair to return to their cabin aboard the cruise ship. He also wrote that he called 911 from the vessel before the ship’s medical center treated her.

The injury involved significant blunt-force trauma to Lindsey’s genital region, sometimes referred to medically as a saddle injury because the impact occurs to the area that would contact a bicycle or horseback saddle. According to Ford, the swelling eventually reached approximately the size of a baseball despite hours of treatment onboard.

Ford said the ship’s medical team presented the couple with three options: remain in the ship’s medical facility for the rest of the voyage, seek treatment at a hospital in Cozumel, or arrange their own transportation home, or pay for an emergency medical evacuation to the United States. According to the fundraiser, they chose the air evacuation so Lindsey could receive specialized medical care in the United States, closer to home.

According to the fundraiser, they were told they needed a $20,000 deposit before departure and $30,000 upon arriving in the U.S. After spending roughly 26 hours in the ship’s medical facility, an ambulance transported Lindsey through severe weather to an airport in Mexico. From there, a private medical jet flew her to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to the fundraiser.

Once back in the United States, Lindsey underwent emergency surgery. According to statements from her family reported by multiple news outlets, surgeons removed a large blood clot caused by the traumatic injury, and she has since undergone additional procedures as part of her recovery.

Ford said the couple has also faced mounting expenses beyond medical care, including emergency transportation, lodging, lost income, and travel costs associated with returning to Louisiana. The fundraiser seeks financial assistance to help cover those unexpected bills while Lindsey continues her recovery.