'I was just really scared': N.S. man recovering in B.C. after falling from balcony
A Maritime family is warning others about unexpected hazards you may encounter when renting a place to stay from a private host through platforms like Airbnb.
A man from Halifax was seriously injured in B.C. after he fell about three metres when a balcony railing gave way.
The incident happened Friday night in the community of Vernon.
Lawrence Pickrem and friends had rented a cottage for the weekend.
Checking out the views on the balcony, he and another man leaned on the railing when it gave way.
Lawrence wound-up breaking the other man's fall, but both were hurt.
"I remember looking over and seeing my buddy Barrett's head bleeding and I was just really scared," Pickrem told CTV News from his hospital room in Vernon.
Pickrem suffered a broken pelvis and ruptured spleen.
The incident resulted in a three-hour surgery and a long road to recovery for Lawrence, who, at the end of the day, simply wants to come home to Halifax.
He'd moved west a couple of months ago seeking work opportunities. Instead, he'll likely spend months recovering in Calgary.
"I heard that he had fallen, but I didn't realize it was 20 feet - that's the equivalent of two stories," said Brittany Pickrem, Lawrence's sister who's launched a GoFundMe page to help her brother cover expenses.
"So I underestimated at first what had happened."
An Airbnb spokesperson provided a short statement to CTV News after the Tuesday broadcast deadline.
“The safety of our community is of the utmost importance to us. We are looking into this incident and have reached out to the guest and host to offer additional support," it said.
For background, the company added:
• The Guest received a refund from the Host.
• Hosts on Airbnb must adhere to our Trust and Safety Community Standards.
• Hosts and Guests on Airbnb have access to AirCover – comprehensive protection for Airbnb guests, included for free with every booking. It includes protection from Host cancellations, listing inaccuracies, and other issues like trouble checking in, as well as a 24-hour Safety Line.
As Lawrence recovers, both siblings are urging others not to assume every rental is 100% safe.
"I'm saying, be more cautious. Kind of look around, and don't just trust that everything is how it's supposed to be," said Lawrence.
"Patio or balcony safety is kind of underestimated. So, when you are going on a patio, make sure that it is safe and secure," said Brittany.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.