'Greek holiday turned to horror when hot tub ate my arm - then it got worse'
Emily Harper-Hemming jetted off to Santorini to enjoy a break with boyfriend Josh Martin, but was soon left with injuries to her arm after being sucked into a hot tub filter
A bikini-clad bodybuilder claims her £2,000 Greek holiday was ruined when her arm was sucked into a hot tub filter - and 'told it was her fault for blocking it'.
Emily Harper-Hemming jetted off from Manchester Airport with her boyfriend Josh Martin, 29, to enjoy a week in the Santorini sun on May 31. At first, the 28-year-old holidaymaker claims the couple enjoyed two days of relaxing in their private pool and hot tub attached to their 'premium' suite room.
But when Josh asked Emily to join him in the hot tub on day three of their vacation, she claims her right arm was 'sucked' into an air vent, with her skin starting to 'break'. After an agonising 20-second struggle, a horrified Emily says Josh finally pulled her free but was left with a red and 'burning' limb.
Shocking photos show Emily's armpit and underarm severely bruised from where she was swallowed into the hot tub opening. Emily says despite being a bodybuilder the suction was so powerful she was unable to free herself and feared what could have happened if it had been a child.
Emily from Wrexham in North Wales, said: "We booked the most premium room out of the suites and we had a pool connected to our room with a hot tub. I'd used the hot tub a couple of times before the incident and it was absolutely fine.
"My boyfriend was in the hot tub and asked me to get in. I got in and sat down. I leaned back, not even on the air vent, and it sucked me in. I kept saying, 'I'm stuck, I'm stuck', and I started to panic.
"It was like a vacuum and it started to pull my skin. I was stuck for about 10 to 20 seconds. It made a proper impact on my skin. My skin was burning as it started to break my skin.
"Had my boyfriend not been there to pry me away, I would have been stuck. I needed him to pull me out. I'm not a weak woman, I'm a bodybuilder and I've got the strength but it was pulling quite hard on my skin.
"Straight away it started to go red and started hurting. I could feel my skin was very raw and sensitive and this got worse as the day went on and then next day it was even worse."
Emily claims she reported the incident straight away to the hotel via WhatsApp and was told the by the hotel that it was her fault.
But after lots of back-and-forth both in person with a manager and over email, Emily says the hotel refunded the couple's last two nights.
The pair then moved to another hotel to try to salvage the last two days of their holiday before flying home on June 7.
Emily said: "I said I needed to speak to someone urgently and sent them a photo of the vent and the injury I had suffered.
"Originally they said they were shocked and deeply sorry it happened and had never had this before.
"We went back and forth and they said it was my fault and it had never happened before [to anyone]. I'm 28 years old, I know how to sit in a hot tub.
"I started to question myself but then my partner and friends were reassuring and said this wasn't normal and I shouldn't have an injury like this. Imagine if it was a kid."
Since returning home from the Greek island, Emily's bruises have healed but she says the incident 'ruined' her holiday.
She re-uploaded a negative review online about her stay, which she claims she was made to delete while staying at the hotel in order to get a refund.
Emily said: "It ruined my holiday, in the end I didn't even want to be there. We salvaged it and still had a good time and tried to remain positive.
"We were able to enjoy aspects of our holiday but the incident put me on edge and it was horrendous.
"It wasn't until we moved hotels that I could breathe. Up until that point I just wanted to go home."
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