Fundraising appeal launched for University of Portsmouth graduate after tragic boat accident

Yasmin Guler was working in Mexico when a motorboat reversed into her and mangled her legs in its propellers.

The 29-year-old studied for her PhD in marine biology in Portsmouth before pursuing her dream job as a divemaster in Mexico.

Yasmin’s best friend Steph Geran said the accident was ‘the stuff of nightmares’.

Steph set up a GoFundMe campaign to help support Yasmin with medical fees, travel expenses, and a loss of income.

She said: ‘She should have died given how much damage had been caused to her legs and the severe blood loss.

‘But Yas is tough and stubborn and somehow she found the strength to pull through in what can only be described as a miracle.

‘I wanted to do something to help so that’s why I set up this GoFundMe page to help financially aid Yas’s recovery and ultimately help get her back on her feet, so to speak!’

Following a stint in a Mexican hospital, Yasmin – who graduated in 2013 – was flown back home to 
undergo a gruelling string of nine operations.

Yasmin had her left leg amputated below its knee and her right leg reconstructed with metal work and a skin graft from her stomach.

As Yasmin prepares to learn to walk again, Steph is hoping that she can raise enough money to fund an advanced prosthetic leg, enabling her to do ‘all the things her life was filled with before the horrific accident’.

Yasmin, from Weymouth, has proved that her adventurous streak is still strong, as her and Steph have started plotting to climb the UK’s three highest peaks in 2018.

Steph said: ‘At this moment she is still struggling with getting on and off a bed pan and so you can see how this goal may seem a little far-fetched, but with a little help from hopefully a lot of people it could just be possible!’

To donate, go to gofundme.com/2jad93dv