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A Bakersfield couple is in Mexico facing enormous medical bills after the husband slammed into a cliff while ziplining on vacation.Brian and Shimeaka Hodges were vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to celebrate their anniversary and Shimeaka's birthday. They decided to try out the "Wild Canyon" zipline, KTLA reports. The website for Wild Canyon refers to the ziplines as "ultra-safe" and "the safest tour in Cabo."
Shimeaka finished the zipline without incident. Then, it was Brian's turn. A friend of the couple told KTLA that he could see as Brian ziplined that he was only about 20 feet away from the mountains nearby. When a sudden gust of wind caught Brian, he was sent crashing into the side of a cliff at about 40 mph.
When they reached Brian, he was unconscious with broken ribs and broken bones in his neck and back. However, his international insurance would only cover half of the bill and Shimeaka said the Mexican hospital where he was taken would only begin to treat him— despite the severity of his injuries—if they got the other half up front. Shimeaka had to use to a credit card to provide the hospital with $50,000.
Because of severe brain swelling, Brian cannot fly, and so the Hodges remain in Mexico. Shimeaka has also received another bill, this one for $28,000.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the couple with Brian's medical bills.
