High school grad on Italy trip plunges off 60-foot cliff, AL mom says. ‘Miracle boy’
A recent high school graduate from Alabama was enjoying his senior trip with friends when he accidentally plunged off a 60-foot cliff in Italy, family said.
Hayden Hill’s mom said people are calling him “the miracle boy.”
Hill was traveling with other recent graduates of New Hope High School to London, Paris and Italy, according to a faculty member.
Not long before Hill’s accident, his mom, Sharon Hicks, shared photos of him on Facebook, saying he was “having the time of his life in Italy.”
Then on the evening of June 8, he fell off a cliff while exploring and was rescued by boat, Hicks said.
He dislocated his hip, broke his ankle and suffered a minor head injury, his mom said. She rushed over to Italy to help but struggled with a language barrier and wants to bring her son back to Alabama as soon as possible.
The doctor refused to discharge Hill unless a doctor and nurse traveled with him from Italy to Huntsville.
“We played cards all day today and I found a store to walk to for some real food he requested,” Hicks shared in a June 11 update. “I was so happy to hear him say he was finally hungry. I can see a light now! I don’t know when it will happen but we will get home.”
Hill’s high school soccer team shared a message of support for the recent grad.
“Hayden had a terrible accident abroad in Italy,” a Facebook post on the team’s page said. “The tribe is certainly praying for his safe return home and speedy recovery.”
Hicks said the U.S. Embassy needed to step in and help them get home.
Hill’s sister, Hannah Hill, told WAFF they’re worried he may deteriorate and develop pneumonia at the Italian hospital. They just want him home.
“If we can get him to the plane, we can get him on the plane, we’re not worried about it,” she told the outlet. “Getting him to a hospital, I’m not worried about that either, just getting him out of there and getting him that care.”
New Hope High School is in the Huntsville metropolitan area.
This story was originally published June 12, 2024 at 6:40 PM with the headline "High school grad on Italy trip plunges off 60-foot cliff, AL mom says. ‘Miracle boy’."