A YOUNG man is fighting for his life following an horrific accident at a Spanish water park.

Keen golfer David Briffaut, 23, is currently in an induced coma on a life support machine in a Spanish hospital after suffering catastrophic injuries after going down a water slide at the Aqualandia tourist attraction in Benidorm.

Mr Briffaut, from Benfleet, who works as a green-keeper at Boyce Hill golf club, south Benfleet, was with his girlfriend Penny Bristow, 22, when tragedy struck on July 8.

He lost consciousness after hitting the water at the bottom of the Splash water slide.

David’s parents Lorraine, a teacher, and Stephane, a construction worker, were are at his bedside after flying to Spain in order to prepare to jet him home by air ambulance.

He faces major surgery to fix two broken vertebrae in his neck and it is feared he will be left paraplegic.

Mr Briffaut’s uncle Mark Pooley, 53, also from Benfleet, said: “This is every family’s worse nightmare.

"David is a wonderful young man, who was enjoying an innocent day out with his girlfriend.

"We are praying for a miracle, but we have been told that the injuries he has sustained are very traumatic.

“We cannot understand how this can of happen at family tourist destination. David was behaving in the normal way, and he had not been drinking.

"We believe there should be a full investigation into the circumstances."

Holiday photographs released by the family show the couple together in carefree poses in the days leading up to the tragedy.

The young couple had been staying with friends and were celebrating the fact that Miss Bristow had recently completed a degree course in travel and tourism.

The couple have been dating for six years. The British consulate in Alicante has been providing assistance to the family.

Mr Pooley added: “The family would like to thank the consulate for its magnificent support over the last few days.

"We are hoping that David’s travel insurance will pay for him to be flown home, but after that he faces a very uncertain future.

"He has undergone surgery and is partly conscious, but in a great deal of pain. We have been told he may need more surgery later this week.”

To contribute to the fundraiser, click here for details.