A woman who habitually skipped buying travel insurance is recovering in Toronto following a fall from a cliff in Trinidad. Elissa Antonio sustained several broken bones on March 28 after falling 12 feet, including a broken ankle, sacrum and a fractured pelvis. She faced a $50,000 airlift bill to relocate her to a Canadian hospital after local doctors were unable to treat her injuries – and was left to pay out of pocket as she failed to take out travel coverage.

To cover the cost, she successfully turned to crowdfunding, rallying $63,000 in donations from over 750 contributors. She has since undergone two surgeries at St. John’s Rehab.

Prior to raising the funds, Antonio remained untreated in a Trinidadian hospital or two weeks, as doctors were unable to assess her injuries due to a broken CT scan.

The case highlights how vital travel coverage is – especially for clients who tend to skip insurance in efforts to cut costs.

According to a recent study by BMO insurance, 41% of respondents said they worry about being injured or becoming ill while traveling, but only 62% purchase the correct amount of coverage before departure.