Boy, 6, ‘left brain damaged’ after darts game topples on him while on holiday in Spain

THE parents of a boy who was left brain damaged after a 6-ft high arcade game fell on him during a holiday in Spain have launched legal action against the hotel where it happened.

They say Oscar Donnelly was knocked unconscious and doctors battled for three hours to save his life before he was placed into an induced coma following the accident in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava.

The family claim staff at the hotel failed to anchor the arcade game securely to the floor, and say vibrations from a nearby punchbag machine in the play area of the hotel caused it to topple over onto Oscar.

Miss Matthews, a care worker, said that when the family was taken up to the intensive care ward of the hospital they did not know if Oscar was alive.

“We broke down thinking the worst as we were led into the family room and they told us that it was ‘not looking good’.”

Oscar’s injuries included and a fractured skull with a bleed and swelling to his brain, a punctured lung and he was left permanently deaf in his left ear.

He also developed diabetes insipidus, a rare life-long disorder which means his body cannot retain enough water.

Yasmina Villa-Lopez, a travel lawyer from Slater and Gordon, which is representing the family in their legal action, said: “Luckily we know that Oscar will survive this horrendous incident but what is unclear is how much this injury will affect the rest of his life and what long-term damage has been done to his brain and body.

“It’s clear that something went terribly wrong here and that all games like this must be secure and pose no risk of harm to children or any other holidaymakers.”

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