MASSIVE Magpie Attack Horror: Chilean Tourist Left with ‘Shocking’ Facial Injuries, Broken Neck Bone and a Fight for Life in Rural Queensland
- Marcela Montalva Iriarte, 30, was left for dead on a remote road after a magpie swooped down and attacked her while she was riding a bike
- The Chilean tourist suffered multiple fractures to her cheekbone, orbit and maxilla, as well as a rare fracture of the hyoid bone in her neck
- Her travel insurance company has declined her claim, citing the initial report which stated she was not wearing a helmet, leaving her with a huge medical bill
A young Chilean tourist’s dream Australian working holiday has turned into a nightmare after she was brutally attacked by a magpie in a rural Queensland town, leaving her with severe facial injuries and a broken neck bone.
Marcela Montalva Iriarte, 30, was riding a bike to the post office in Ravenswood, a remote gold-mining town west of Townsville, on October 15 when the magpie suddenly swooped down and attacked her.
‘I decided to ride to the post office, about 2km away from Top Camp Roadhouse where I work and live,’ she said. ‘Halfway there, I was suddenly attacked by a magpie, lost control of the bicycle, and fell hard on the road, hitting the left side of my face on the concrete.’
Montalva, who was not wearing a helmet, was rushed to the mine’s medical unit before being airlifted to Townsville University Hospital because of her serious condition.
‘The last thing I remember is the sound — the magpie was screaming,’ she said. ‘Then everything went black.’
Doctors later confirmed she had multiple fractures to her cheekbone, orbit and maxilla, as well as a rare fracture of the hyoid bone in her neck.
‘They told me I was lucky to be alive,’ Montalva said.
But she urgently needs facial reconstructive surgery as she is struggling to eat and speak properly.
‘I’m in pain. I can’t eat. I already lost 4kg since Wednesday because I can’t eat much,’ Montalva told 7NEWS.com.au. ‘I can just eat baby food at the moment.’
Montalva has been unable to return to work and feels ‘super alone in a foreign country’ as she tries to deal with the fallout of the accident.
‘I just wanted to do my visa for two years, travel around, get to know the Australian culture… now I just want to go home,’ she said, fighting back tears.
But before she can take the 16-hour flight home to Santiago de Chile, Montalva must recover and deal with the huge medical bill.
Her travel insurance company has declined her claim, citing the initial report which stated she was not wearing a helmet.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know if I can pay for surgery,’ she said.
Montalva has launched a GoFundMe to help cover her medical expenses and, although she found it embarrassing at first, said she was deeply moved by the kindness of strangers and support from all over the world.
‘I always thought if anything happened here it would be because of a snake or a spider, never a bird,’ she said. ‘I will never ride a bike again in Australia.’