- When Tessa Fleming, 34, accepted a jetski ride from a stranger, she was excited to zoom through the waves.
- Within seconds of jumping on the back though, an unfortunate accident left Tessa fighting for life.
- Now six years on, Tessa knows just how lucky she is to be alive!
Here Tessa tells her story in her own words.
Feeling the warm rays of the sunshine kiss my skin, I peered over my sunglasses at the sparkling water.
‘Let’s go for one last swim?’ I suggested to my friend, Jennifer, who was lying on a beach towel beside me.
It was July 2018, and aged 26, I was on a day trip with Jennifer, her husband, Jan, and his brother.
Before we headed home, I wanted to have one last swim.
‘Can I go for a spin?’
After diving under a wave, I wiped the salt water from my eyes and spotted a man who was riding a jet ski.
He’d been zooming up and down the coastline offering willing swimmers a ride.
Watching as he whipped and turned in the waves, I was captivated.
I’d been on a jet ski once before and recalled it being great fun.
‘Can I go for a spin?’ I asked, as he came to a stop nearby.
‘Jump on,’ he agreed.
After I’d pulled on a life vest, I went to wrap my arms around his waist, but he stopped me.
‘You can hold onto the handles behind you,’ he said.
‘You can hold onto the handles behind you.’
I gripped on as tightly as possible to the handles, but they were awkward to grasp as they were so far back. Still, as the engine roared to life, I was full of excitement.
The jet ski puttered away from the swimmers to behind the wave break, picking up speed as we went.
But when the driver accelerated quickly, I lost my grip on the handles and the momentum sent me flying off the back.
Flailing through the air like a rag doll, I slammed into the whitewash with my legs out in front of me.
When I resurfaced, I felt winded, like I’d been kicked in the stomach with a soccer ball.
I tried to paddle back to shore, but quickly realised I had no control over my legs.
Indescribable pain coursed through my body.
Immediately, panic set in.
‘Help!’
‘Help!’ I screamed, over and over, desperately waving my arms to get the driver’s attention.
Waves continued crashing over my head, and I became too weak to stay afloat or even keep my eyes open.
By the time the driver spotted me and came racing over, all the fight had gone out of me.
I need help, I thought, weak and scared.
Then the world suddenly went black…
When I came to, I was horrified to see the water filled with so much blood, it was like a scene out of the movie Jaws.
As I faded in and out of consciousness, now at the shore, Jan and his brother pulled my lifeless body from the water, before I was loaded into an ambulance that another swimmer had called.
When I properly woke in hospital, my dad Robert, 69, was there by my side, after Jennifer had told him about my accident.
‘I thought I’d lost you, sweetheart.’
‘I thought I’d lost you, sweetheart,’ he said, explaining I’d been in a coma for 10 days.
I couldn’t believe it.
But that wasn’t all.
I listened in shock as Dad told me that, after I’d fallen off the jet ski, the water being propelled from the back of the watercraft, which was travelling at 50km per hour, had entered my rectum with such force, it’d burst my colon and two major blood vessels.
It’d caused my faeces to poison my bloodstream, resulting in septic shock, which meant my organs were shutting down.
I also had major damage to my bladder, pelvic floor, reproductive organs, as well as deep lacerations to my vagina.
To save my life, in a series of operations, surgeons cleaned out my insides, rebuilt my abdomen with surgical mesh, and removed 40cm of my colon.
Through it all, Dad never left my bedside. I was so grateful for his support, but intubated, all I could do was squeeze his hand.
Sensing I had questions, Dad handed me a notepad and pen.
Babies? I wrote.
‘There’s a chance you may never bear children,’ he explained gently.
As the harsh reality set in, I broke down sobbing. I’d always wanted to be a mum.
Now I was being told it may never happen.
Although I knew I was lucky to be alive, I had a wound 12.5cm wide and 25cm long running down the centre of my abdomen.
I also had a colostomy bag fitted, while my bowel healed.
The pain was so severe it felt like a blender had gone off inside of me.
I was so thankful when a group of girlfriends rallied around me to give Dad a break.
They washed my hair, did my skincare and ordered my favourite takeaway meals.
After six weeks in hospital, I was finally discharged.
At home, I had check-ups from a nurse three times a week to change my dressings and bandages.
I also returned to hospital twice a week for rehab, where I worked on strengthening my pelvic floor and had check-ups with my surgeons.
Nine months later, in April 2019, my colostomy was successfully reversed.
Now six years on, I still struggle with the thought that I may never have children, but I’ve since found a fresh perspective on life because of my accident.
I’m a kinder, more patient person and less fearful about whatever life might throw at me.
I’ve even started performing stand-up comedy, making light of my accident and recovery.
And while it has taken me some time, I’ve learned to love my body – scars and all.
It reminds me just how lucky I am to be alive.
To learn more of Tessa’s journey, visit: https://www.instagram.com/tessafleming/
