Adventure Firm Sued for £12 Million After Customer Suffers Near-Fatal Injuries in Cambodian Boat Capsize

Transforma Travel Group, a British adventure holidays company, is facing a £12 million lawsuit from a German national who alleges she sustained severe injuries after being trapped in a capsized river boat during a 'sunset BBQ cruise' in Cambodia.

Annika Kreten, 39, a German government worker, claims her life has been irrevocably altered by the incident on the River Kampot in November 2022. She alleges that she was trapped inside the two-storey boat, lost consciousness, and suffered 'drowning' injuries when her lungs filled with water after the vessel shipped water and overbalanced as passengers were reportedly climbing on the roof to jump and swim.

Transforma Travel Group, founded by British backpacker Ramsey Kerr, has admitted full liability for the accident under UK law governing package holidays. However, the company is disputing the extent of Ms Kreten's alleged injuries and the significant damages she is claiming.

Ms Kreten had booked a 31-day 'Dragon Trip' adventure across Southeast Asia with the company, which costs approximately £2,000 for a basic package. The tours are advertised as offering "adventurous, authentic, and affordable backpacking tours across Asia," including Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

Court documents state that on November 28, 2022, Ms Kreten was a passenger on the riverboat excursion when it capsized. Her claim asserts that she was struck by unsecured furniture and became trapped as the boat sank, leading to her near-drowning and subsequent severe injuries.

According to her solicitors, Stewarts, the boat had first and second floors, with Ms Kreten alleging that the second floor appeared to have been added after the boat's manufacture. Her case is that the boat's condition, combined with an excessive number of passengers, made it unstable and prone to capsizing. The incident occurred after the boat stopped to allow passengers to swim, with many jumping from the upper deck. Evidence suggests the crew instructed passengers to stay on one side of the boat while jumping. The boat began taking on water and capsized, which Ms Kreten's case attributes to the instability caused by extra weight and the boat's poor maintenance, upkeep, and design.

Ms Kreten was trapped by unsecured furniture, lost consciousness, and was pulled from the water by fellow passengers. She received first aid in a nearby village before being taken to a local hospital. Her lawyers state that prior to the accident, she had experienced depression and was psychiatrically vulnerable. The near-death experience, they claim, resulted in complex and distressing physical and neuropsychiatric injuries, including a concussive head injury, possible brain injury, soft tissue injuries, severe PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a chronic functional neurological disorder.

Her legal team asserts that Ms Kreten has been unable to work since the accident and suffers from global weakness, pain, headaches, dizziness, poor balance, fatigue, memory and concentration issues, and feelings of hopelessness. She has been awarded a full disability pension, has lost her independence, and requires assistance with daily living. She has also obtained a therapy/PTSD assistance dog. Attempts to treat her PTSD have reportedly been retraumatizing, with breathing exercises reminding her of drowning.

Transforma Travel Group, founded in 2011 by Shropshire-based Ramsey Kerr, promotes itself as offering "budget-friendly group tours" that take travellers "off-the-beaten-track" to "experience life like a local."

However, the travel company's defense barrister, Lucy Wyles KC, stated in court that the alleged injuries are disputed, and the causation of any injuries is not admitted. The defendant intends to obtain its own expert medical evidence. Ms Kreten, through her lawyers, described the incident as "a never-ending nightmare."

The case was heard briefly this week for arrangements regarding evidence and expert witnesses. A full nine-day trial is anticipated to take place in late 2027 or 2028.