Brit gran collapses on UK-bound flight as plane forced to divert to Croatia

Gina Thomson's family are hoping to bring her home in time for Christmas so she can recover surrounded by her loved ones after falling seriously ill on board a flight home from a holiday in Turkey

09:14, 14 Oct 2025

Aileen, left, with Gina, right

A British gran was left fighting for her life in a Croatian hospital after falling unconscious on a flight home from a holiday hotspot that had to be diverted. Gina Thomson, 66, fell ill on the plane as she returned from a week-long break in Turkey.

The Edinburgh-bound aircraft was forced to detour nearly 1,500 miles away to Zagreb in Croatia so Gina could receive urgent medical care after she became unresponsive onboard.

Heroic cabin crew worked on Gina for around 45 minutes before the plane landed at Zagreb, where she was rushed to hospital and placed on a ventilator in intensive care.

[Gina's worried family want her home]

Gina's worried family want her home

Lifelong pal Aileen Willard, who had been flying with her when she became unwell, told the Daily Record: "We were in the airport waiting to fly home and Gina was experiencing flu-like symptoms. It wasn't unusual because she had been coughing for a few days.

"When we got on the flight I went to sleep. I was woken to my legs being shaken and then I saw Gina lying in the middle of the pathway being resuscitated -she was unresponsive.

"When we landed, medics came on board and took her to hospital. By the time I arrived she was already on a ventilator. Doctors wanted to stabilise her as fast as they could."

[Gina Thomson been flying back to Scotland after a week-long holiday with her friends]

Gina Thomson been flying back to Scotland after a week-long holiday with her friends

Medics found that Gina, who had travelled without insurance, was suffering from pneumonia, COPD, and other undiagnosed health issues.

After weeks of uncertainty, she was taken off the ventilator and slowly regained consciousness. However, she remains seriously unwell and is currently battling bronchitis.

Aileen added: "She had to have a tracheostomy to help her breathe. She had to be heavily sedated for weeks. She's doing okay now, but is having bouts where her health suddenly dips. We know she's in the best hands possible over there, but we need to get her home to be with her family."

Doctors in Croatia are willing to let Gina be transported home to Dundee, but only with specialist medical assistance. A medical evacuation flight to return to Scotland carries a cost of 25,000. An online fundraiser has since been set up to cover the costs.

Article continues below

Aileen said: "The British Embassy can't offer any financial help for this kind of transport. We've been quoted around 25,000. We desperately need to get her home to her family. Gina is a kind, caring, and fun-loving person who didnt deserve for her holiday to end this way.

"All we want now is to bring her home so she can be with her loved ones for Christmas, to recover in familiar surroundings and to start rebuilding her strength." Click here to donate to the fundraiser.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.