A “freak accident” on a Cyprus boat has left a Woolwich man in a coma with family and friends unsure if he will ever be the same again.

Joshua “Dodi” Ahmed was on holiday with his friends in Cyprus and hired a boat to go sightseeing along the coast.

On the way back the captain suggested the group should try parasailing, which went without a hitch when the first four people in the gang tried it.

But when 35-year-old Dodi and his friend Cass tried it, it all went horribly wrong as he parachute fell into the water before taking off, causing them to be pulled off the back of the boat.

Bianca Brown was on the boat with Dodi when the “freak accident” happened.

She said: “There was a huge bang as harnesses, ropes and metal parts of the boat broke off and collided with our friends causing catastrophic injuries to both.

“It was so frightening to see Dodi unconscious in the sea and Cass covered in blood, but despite the shock, we proved to be a great team of friends and threw ourselves into the situation.

“Three of the team jumped into the ocean to help keep Dodi and Cass afloat, keep their bodies stable and remove the parachute which was still attached to them.

“After the horrid ordeal of trying to get them both out of the water we raced back to shore to get much needed medical attention.”

Cass suffered some nasty injuries, such as her teeth being knocked out and piercing through her cheek, but she left hospital after four days.

Dodi was not so lucky. He was instantly knocked unconscious, suffered a brain haemorrhage alongside fractured jaw, ribs and broken fingers.

He was put into a medically induced coma since the accident due to complications regarding his breathing and fluid in his lungs as he was transferred to have brain surgery.

The good news is that Dodi is now breathing by himself but he remains in a coma and his friends are raising funds to his family can come to see him.

Tobias Azizah, one of Dodi’s friends, said: “Dodi is one of our oldest friends and whilst he is stable his condition remains critical.

“We want to be able to provide as much support to his family as possible and encourage everyone to donate whatever they can.”

To donate funds to help Dodi’s family, go to gofundme.com/helpdodi

The 49-year-old owner of the water sports rental company and a 34-year-old employee who operated the boat have both been arrested and charged with negligent and reckless actions.