A friend and colleague of the young WA police officer left fighting for her life in a Croatian hospital after a cliff fall says she has a long road to recovery but is “doing amazing”.
Ella Cutler, 26, suffered severe injuries when she fell 10m from a clifftop while on holiday in Dubrovnik, Croatia in late August, and was put into the local hospital’s intensive care unit.
Doctors initially informed her family that Cutler was unlikely to survive.
Constable Dani Morrison, who became close friends with Cutler when she first joined the police, said on Sunday Cutler has “a long road” to recovery but has “fought really hard”.
“She’s no longer in the ICU. She has been moved to another ward, where she’s still in critical condition. She has many surgeries to undergo. She’s got a lot of broken bones,” Morrison said.
“She’s got a long way to go but she’s doing amazing.”
Though Cutler had travel insurance, her injury claim was denied after local police determined she had been drinking at the time of the fall.
Cutler’s brother, Joshua, helped initially organised a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his sister’s medical bills and the $400,000 required to fly her home.
“The doctors who have looked after her since her admission to the hospital in Dubrovnik have been amazing, and we cannot thank them enough for their hard work keeping her alive,” a statement on the campaign page said.
“They have conveyed the importance of moving her to a bigger hospital with better facilities where she can receive specialised care vital for further recovery.”
The campaign was given a boost by the Western Australian police which shared a video to social media paying tribute to Cutler with the aim of raising $500,000.
As of Sunday afternoon the campaign had raised $504,011 from more than 6,400 donors, including people from around Australia and overseas.
Morrison offered a “heartfelt thank you” to those who contributed from both the Western Australia police and Cutler’s mother.
Morrison described Cutler as “selfless”, “the most compassionate, empathetic, caring person” and a “beautiful soul” whose injuries had shocked the close-knit Western Australian law enforcement community.
She said the money will be used to arrange transport home “as soon as possible” after a survey next week.
“[Ella] will be so moved,” Morrison said. “I think she’ll be highly embarrassed. She’s not one for the public spotlight, she’s doesn’t ask for help. She’s so independent and resourceful herself.
“So she will be firstly horrified, but secondly, she’ll be for ever thankful for the support.”
