A woman in Australia, originally from Chile, found herself in a life-threatening situation when she was attacked by a magpie. Marcela Montalva, who had recently moved to the remote town of Ravenswood in the Australian Outback, was riding her bike to a nearby post office when the incident occurred on one of her days off.
The unexpected attack caused Montalva to lose control of her bicycle and fall hard on the road, resulting in severe injuries to the left side of her face. She was rendered unconscious and had to be airlifted to Townsville University Hospital due to the remote location of the incident.
Upon arrival at the hospital, it was revealed that the magpie attack had led to multiple fractures in her left cheekbone and a rare fracture in her neck. Montalva described the seriousness of her injuries, stating that she now requires urgent facial reconstructive surgery to address difficulties in eating and speaking.
Despite her travel insurance refusing to cover the medical expenses, Montalva has managed to raise approximately $12,000 (AUD) through crowdfunding to support the necessary surgical procedures. Reflecting on the incident, she expressed disbelief at the unforeseen turn of events, emphasizing the unexpected nature of being attacked by a bird and the subsequent grave consequences it led to.