Update: Mark Richardson, Still Critical, Requires Medevac After Bali Hospital Refuses Blood Donations

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Since Friday, four-time Australian surfing champion Mark Richardson has been in critical condition in a Bali hospital. Internal bleeding has left him in need of A negative blood, a rare blood-type that has been unavailable locally. In response, friends and family have been attempting to get blood donations in order to stabilize him enough to return to Australia. However, their efforts have apparently been stymied by the Balinese medical system, forcing Richardson to be medically evacuated while still in critical condition.

“We arranged 10 (bags of) A negative blood from the Red Cross in Brisbane we were picking up today at 3 a.m. to get it flown over directly,” wrote friend Fiona Meyer in an update on Mark’s GoFundMe page. “Just about to leave for pick up and drop off and can’t believe but [the phone] rings and the Bali hospital have said they refuse to accept any international blood now after they agreed earlier verbally.”

However, despite their refusal of the Red Cross donation, according to Meyer, the hospital was still unable to supply the amount of blood Mark needs, leaving him in critical condition.

In an update five and a half hours later, Fiona wrote, “Mark is being evacuated by LifeFlight from Bali tonight. He will arrive in Darwin around 11 p.m. Blood is being sent from Townsville to Darwin now. As soon as he is in the ambulance leaving hospital he will receive blood.”

She continued that they had “no choice but to get him out asap even though he’s not stable.” She elaborated to ABC news that, “He’ll die if he stays here.”

“Today’s mission is clinically complicated but nothing our teams can’t handle,” LifeFlight’s Tyson Smith said in a statement. “We are talking about an ICU ward that can fly between countries with all the equipment that you would get at your local hospital.” As ABC reported, LifeFlight’s rescue air ambulance took off from Townsville on Wednesday to pick Richardson up from the Denpasar airport. It is a two-and-a-half hour flight to Denpasar and Richardson was expected to arrive after 11 p.m. on Wednesday local time. There has been no update yet on the result of the evacuation.

Through the crowdfunding site GoFundMe, Meyer has raised more than $42,000 for Mark. In her update, Meyer wrote that Richardson’s insurance had begun working with LifeFlight and that the donated funds will go towards his recovery.

“Insurance company is still working out what expenses will be covered. But it goes without saying Mark will need every cent that has been so generously donated for his recovery,” she wrote. “Mark will have to spend significant time in Darwin hospital receiving treatment as they have done absolutely nothing here… they’ve barely kept him alive.”