Calgary man lands in B.C. hospital after falling from two-storey balcony at Airbnb
Lawrence Pickrem thought he’d be celebrating a weekend away with friends in Vernon, B.C., but two hours into the trip on Friday it changed dramatically.
Pickrem, originally from Nova Scotia, and his friend were enjoying a beer on the balcony of their Airbnb rental.
They leaned on the railing when it gave way and they fell two storeys.
Pickrem broke his friend's fall, but he ruptured his spleen and broke his pelvis.
“It was quite a drop to the ground and it was on cement,” Pickrem said from his hospital room in Vernon. “All I remember was once the wind was knocked out of me, I remember looking over and seeing my buddy Barrett’s head bleeding.”
Pickrem said he wants to warn others to always check their surroundings when attending a rental property.
“We had no inclination to know that the railings wouldn’t have been secure and as far as I’m concerned, not up to code,” he said. “Be more cautious, kind of look around and don’t just trust that everything is how its supposed to be, because often times, as I learned the hard way, it’s not.”
Pickrem moved to Calgary several months ago from Halifax, seeking work.
His sister Brittany, who lives in Halifax, has set up a crowdfunding campaign to help her brother financially.
It’s raised more than $3,200 of its $5,000 goal.
Doctors have told Pickrem it could be six months before he begins walking again.
“I asked him on a scale of one to 10, where’s your comfort level, and he said he’s about a four with the pain,” Brittany said. “But I can tell now its more emotional than anything else. He’s so far away from his family.”
Airbnb said in a statement that “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,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.
The company says Pickrem and his friends received a refund for their visit.
Pickrem says he would like to return to Halifax but believes he’ll be in Calgary for several months to recover.
His injuries are so severe, doctors say he will have to be specially transported by air back to Calgary from Vernon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.