Telford woman's joy as brain-damaged brother starts to speak

Jacob Nicol has been undergoing life-saving treatment at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and his sister, who lives in Madeley, announced the 22-year-old had said "mum".

Jenade Moon, speaking on an appeal website set up to help fund his ongoing care, said: "Jacob said 'mum' today. I'm so proud of my bro, he's a superstar."

Jacob suffered a fractured skull after falling into the sea as he cleaned the Kibo yacht, owned by billionaire Alexander Mamut, near the Majorcan port of Puerto Portals on May 3.

His family said that their loved one had been making progress at the Telford hospital since the fall.

He had spent nine months working as a third assistant engineer on the yacht before the accident, which is understood to have happened after the fender hook he was rigged to gave way.

His family say he was hit on the head by the 20-kilo hook and was under the water for several minutes. He was 100ft from the vessel when he was rescued by its captain.

Jacob was in a coma for 10 days at Son Espases Hospital in the Majorcan capital Palma before being repatriated to Shropshire to be close to his family.

Jacob's mother Christine Long, 42, a health and safety officer, moved to Telford so she could be near her son and had put her house in Cornwall on the market.

Jacob is in the intensive care unit at PRH and breathing through a tracheostomy tube attached to a ventilator. He was also on three different antibiotics to fight off infections in his lungs and throat.

Jenade lives with her three children and husband, Chris.

Mrs Moon said: "Jacob always wanted to travel as our late father had visited some amazing places and inspired him. He has been following his dreams of travelling for the past year until this happened.

"I got a phone call from the captain on the day it happened, saying Jacob had fallen overboard and was in intensive care. I went out to Majorca as soon as I had sorted a passport to join my mum, who had flown over the day after the incident.

"The doctors in Majorca were great and very honest. He was transported to the fantastic Hospital Universitari Son Espases on the island where he was stabilised and given life-saving treatment.

"He remained there, in a coma, for 10 days before being repatriated back to Shropshire where he continues to undergo life-saving treatments.

"The prognosis is very severe brain damage caused by hypoxia (drowning) and hospital staff, although doing everything they can within their power, are unsure how much progress he can possibly make. We take it in turns to sit with him every day and talk to him.

All the nurses and doctors can tell us at the moment is that he will never make a full recovery. Basically he's got very severe damage all over his brain due to the drowning."

Jacob's family claim his accident could have been avoided.

They have launched a fundraising internet page to raise money for legal fees and future medical care for Jacob. The page has already raised more than £12,000.

An investigating magistrate has questioned the super yacht's captain as part of an ongoing investigation into the accident.

Mrs Moon added: "We are sticking together and doing what we can.

"We are also funding a court case and that is why we set up Justice for Jacob. We believe the incident could have been avoided and will fight till we get an outcome.

"Meanwhile we will continue to take each day as it comes and be there for Jacob."

• To donate go to gofundme.com/justiceforjacob