A British influencer has been found unconscious in her South Korean apartment, suffering from a mysterious black eye and multiple organ failure.
Ashley Surcombe, 29, was discovered by police in her Seoul residence after concerned family friends noticed her prolonged silence and stopped receiving responses to messages.
Surcombe, who has been living in South Korea for five years and sharing her experiences with over 465,000 followers on Instagram, was found unresponsive on her bathroom floor.
Despite no signs of forced entry, police are baffled by the circumstances surrounding her condition.
The last time Surcombe communicated with her followers was more than six weeks ago, when she posted a sponsored advertisement for Korean beer and wished her audience a Happy Chinese New Year.
Her family, located in Evesham, UK, grew increasingly worried when they could not reach her by phone and alerted local authorities.
Her sister, Kat Surcombe, an aerospace engineer, expressed the family’s growing concern, revealing that they were scheduled to speak with Ashley on Sunday, but she failed to respond. “We just don’t know what happened,” Kat said. “We are trying to find out exactly, but it’s been difficult.”
A week before the discovery, Ashley had reported a bruise on her eye, which she claimed was from hitting her head against a door.
However, what followed was far more serious. She was found severely dehydrated and suffering from organ failure. While there were no broken bones, her blood sugar levels were dangerously low, and her condition appeared to be deteriorating rapidly.
Ashley’s family is now grappling with not only the emotional toll but also the financial strain of covering her medical expenses. With her health insurance recently expired, the family is urgently seeking to raise £50,000 to fund her hospital care.
The unexpected costs have left them in a dire situation, with her father considering the possibility of selling their house to cover the mounting bills.
“We just want her home,” Kat added, her voice filled with emotion. “She’s my baby sister, and I want to give her the biggest cuddle and tell her that I love her.”
The family is unsure how long Ashley will remain in the hospital or how long it will take for her to recover enough to return to the UK.
Despite the uncertainty, the Surcombe family remains hopeful that they will find the answers they desperately need, while also working to raise the necessary funds for Ashley’s treatment and eventual return home.
