Aussie doctor faces year of recovery after harness failure leads to 10-metre fall onto concrete driveway
- Active doctor faces 12-month recovery after freak fall
- Harness anchor left Dr Fraser Bliesner, 33, free-falling
- A fundraiser has been launched for the family
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A fit and active doctor will spend a year in recovery after a harness failed and he fell ten metres from a balcony onto a concrete driveway.
Dr Fraser Bliesner, 33, was repairing a balcony on his family home in Illawarra, New South Wales, on Tuesday when the anchor point of his harness broke and he plummeted toward the ground.
His wife, Phoenix, 33, said he was fortunate to have survived the fall.
‘He was doing all the right things, he wasn’t being silly, but it’s lucky he’s alive,’ she told Daily Mail Australia as she drove to see him in hospital in Wollongong.
Her eight-year-old daughter found him lying on the driveway and called her father an ambulance.
Ms Bliesner was treating a dental patient herself at the time.
‘I wondered why he was calling so much. Then I got a call from the paramedics and knew it was serious,’ she said.
Dr Bliesner’s fall resulted in several injuries, including crushed ankles, a broken pelvis, a broken lumbar spine and a broken wrist.
Dr Fraser Bliesner, 33, fell ten metres onto a concrete driveway while working on a balcony on Tuesday
Phoenix Bliesner, 33, said she was lucky to have her husband alive after he hit his head in the fall
Ms Bliesner said doctors were initially concerned as her husband had hit his head on the concrete in the fall.
‘He’s stable now, they were worried about internal bleeding in his pelvis but he’s doing better,’ she said.
‘It’ll be a long road.’
Doctors are confident the father-of-two will be able to resume his active lifestyle after the treatment.
‘He’s very big in the sporting community, that’s a very big part of his life,’ Ms Bliesner said.
‘However, doctors say he’ll always have niggles and pains.’
Dr Bliesner is an avid cyclist who competes in races in the region. He’s also active in surf lifesaving and Nippers.
Before studying medicine, Dr Bliesner represented Queensland in high school rugby league and played in the AFL feeder team for the Gold Coast Suns, before a six-month stint playing Australian rules football in Canada.
Ms Bliesner was concerned her husband could grow bored during treatment.
‘It’ll be a hard road, at least a year in recovery I think. He’ll be in hospital for a minimum of 12 weeks, with 6 weeks bed rest.’
Ms Bliesner said her husband typically leads a very active lifestyle in sports and the wider community
She said she wants to see her husband fully recovered so he can do the things he loves and continue helping the community.
‘He’s always happy and always busy and moving. He’s the best person you’d meet, he always has time for people.
‘He’s and actually amazing doctor, I know it’s funny, I’m his wife, but he really is an amazing doctor. He’s loved by all.’
The lengthy treatment will place both an emotional and financial strain on the family, as well as on their two young daughters, aged eight and four.
Both children have managed the tragedy well, with their oldest beginning to realise how serious the accident could have been.
Family friend Gemma Brooks has set up a fundraiser for the family to assist with the recoverry.
‘Fraser is not only a dedicated doctor but also a cherished member of our community. His passion for cycling and his uplifting energy have a way of inspiring everyone around him. He now faces a long road to recovery, with significant time off work and extensive rehabilitation ahead,’ she wrote.
‘Fraser and his wife, Phoenix, are raising two beautiful daughters – Fyfa, a primary school student, and Flo, who attends preschool. This unexpected accident has placed an enormous strain on their family, both emotionally and financially.
‘We’re asking for your support to help the Bliesner's during this challenging time. Donations will go toward covering medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and everyday expenses while Fraser focuses on healing.’
