Fergus Chetwin-Kelly, 20, is in intensive care after the freak accident, that happened when he touched a live cable in Cluj-Napoca, in northwest Romania.
The Christchurch man's sister, Bridie told the Herald that he had climbed an abandoned train carriage to take a photo and accidentally touched a live cable when he lifted his arm to wave.
"It is such a freak accident, he lifted his hand up to wave at a train and touched a wire and he fell off and hit the ground and his whole body caught fire," she said.
Ms Chetwin-Kelly, 23, and her younger sister, Molly-Rose, 19, had set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for their brothers uncertain future.
Their parents, Cecily Chetwin and Martin Kelly, rushed to be with their son as soon as they heard the what had happened.
The accident happened last Wednesday, but the family only found on Friday after Mr Chetwin-Kelly's girlfriend in Ireland, Roisin Rigg, thought something was amiss and googled his name.
"No one contacted us, the only way we found out was because his girlfriend in Dublin woke up in the middle of the night and thought something was wrong.
"She googled his name and it came up with a story from a Romanian newspaper."
The family was devastated and were waiting each day for news about Fergus' prognosis.
"It's really hard to tell, every day they have been trying to do a little something towards his recovery."
They were concerned about his neurological condition due to the head injury he sustained, and he was breathing with assistance.
Mr Chetwin-Kelly had been travelling for a year and a half, and was with travel companions when the tragic accident happened last week.
His family hadn't seen him since he left, and he was due to return home in May next year.
He had loved his travels around Southeast Asia, the UK and Europe and made countless new friends said Ms Chetwin-Kelly.
"We only put the [Givealittle] page up a for a few hours and already we have had donation from so many people: People that we don't even know, people he met on trains.
"It just shows how special he is. He is so special that everyone who meets him falls in love with him."
While Mr Chetwin-Kelly had insurance when he left New Zealand, the family were trying to establish if he had renewed it during his travels.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the agency was aware of Mr Chetwin-Kelly's case.
"The New Zealand Embassy in Brussels, accredited to Romania, has been providing consular advice to the family," he said.
