Four British Holidaymakers Die from Severe Stomach Bugs in Cape Verde
Four British tourists have tragically died within just four months after being struck down with severe gastric illnesses while visiting the popular winter sun destination of Cape Verde. Lawyers representing their devastated families have revealed the heartbreaking details, highlighting a wider pattern of health concerns at resorts on the islands.
The Victims and Their Stories
Elena Walsh, a 64-year-old part-time nurse and mother from Birmingham, died in August 2025 after falling ill while staying at the Riu Cabo Verde resort. She had travelled on a £5,000 Tui package holiday with her family. Shortly after arrival, she contracted a stomach bug with such unbearable pain that she was rushed to hospital, where doctors mistakenly believed she had appendicitis. During an attempted operation, she suffered a heart attack and never regained consciousness. A UK post-mortem found nothing wrong with her appendix, ruling heart failure as the primary cause of death, with gastroenteritis listed as a secondary factor.
Mark Ashley, a 55-year-old self-employed forklift truck driver from Bedfordshire, died in November 2025 after becoming violently ill just three days into his October holiday at the five-star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal. He suffered stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and extreme lethargy. After returning to the UK, he collapsed at home and was pronounced dead minutes after arriving at hospital. His death has been referred to the coroner, with investigations continuing.
Karen Pooley, a 64-year-old retired mother-of-two from Gloucestershire, died in October 2025 during a two-week holiday at the Riu Funana resort in Sal, costing £3,000 and booked through Tui. After developing gastric symptoms, she slipped on water leaking from a fridge while going to the bathroom, fracturing her femur. She was airlifted to Tenerife for urgent treatment but died the following day. Her initial death certificate listed multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardio-respiratory arrest and a broken leg as causes of death.
A 56-year-old man also died last year after contracting severe gastric illness while on the islands, completing the quartet of recent fatalities.
Wider Pattern of Illness and Death
These four deaths are part of a broader concerning trend, with six Britons reported to have died in Cape Verde since January 2023 according to law firm Irwin Mitchell. The other two victims were Jane Pressley, 62, from Gainsborough, who died in January 2023 after falling ill at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, and a man in his 60s from Watford who died in November 2024 following gastric illness after a trip to the islands.
The families of all six victims are now bringing personal injury claims for damages against Tui, which provides many package holidays to Cape Verde. Legal filings claim Tui breached its duties under the Package Travel Regulations 2018 by failing to provide safe food, drink and accommodation facilities.
Families' Heartbreak and Concerns
Emma Ashley, Mark's 55-year-old widow, said her family are in 'complete shock' following his sudden death. 'We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered,' she revealed, adding that they had paid over £3,000 for the trip and reported his illness via Tui's app on October 9, 2025. She has raised concerns about hygiene standards at their hotel.
Karen Pooley's husband Andy, 62, said: 'We're utterly heartbroken. Karen was the kindest, loveliest person.' He described her as a devoted wife and mother who loved swimming, walking their dog in the Forest of Dean, and volunteering at a local charity shop. He criticised the lack of communication from the clinic and holiday provider while watching his wife deteriorate during family video calls.
Patrick Walsh, Elena's 60-year-old husband, recounted hearing her 'crying out in pain' from outside the operating theatre during the botched appendicitis operation. 'The last words she shouted was 'you're hurting me, you're hurting me',' he said, 'that's the last of her.'
Legal Response and Hygiene Concerns
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, stated: 'The number of holidaymakers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering. Nothing brings the gravity of this situation into sharper focus than these recent deaths.'
He added: 'In my experience I'm used to supporting holidaymakers who have fallen ill at resorts across the globe, but I've never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time. It's almost incomprehensible that holidaymakers continue to describe the hygiene issues at these Cape Verde hotels year-after-year.'
The law firm is calling for 'meaningful and decisive action' to address reported hygiene issues on the islands and urging tour operators to work with authorities to ensure the highest standards are upheld.
Shigella Outbreak and Official Warnings
Health officials across Europe detected a surge in shigella infections late last year, a bacterial illness causing severe diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that spreads through contaminated food, water, or person-to-person contact. Investigations found many of those testing positive had recently returned from Cape Verde.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported rising cases in countries including the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland and France, while the UK Health Security Agency logged 137 cases between October and December 2025 - with 80% linked to recent travel to the islands.
In December 2025, the Foreign Office issued a warning to British travellers about shigella in Cape Verde, noting it was the second outbreak on the islands in recent years. A previous spike was detected in November 2022, including 23 cases involving UK citizens in the following 12 months.
Tourism Context and Company Responses
Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands approximately 350 miles west of Senegal in the Atlantic Ocean, has been marketed as a sun-soaked paradise with year-round warmth and golden beaches. Over the past two decades, it has boomed in popularity with British and European holidaymakers, with visitor numbers soaring from just 115,000 in 2000 to almost one million in 2024. Britons make up more than a third of arrivals.
According to The Times, Tui and Riu Hotels said they were 'deeply saddened' by the deaths and offered their 'heartfelt condolences to the families affected.' A spokeswoman for Riu Hotels stated that routine monthly testing of food and kitchen staff had detected no presence of shigella.
The tour operator is contesting the legal allegations, arguing there are many possible causes of gastric illness beyond its control. However, hundreds of claimants are now suing Tui in the High Court, alleging they contracted illnesses including E.coli, salmonella and shigella after staying at Cape Verde resorts.
One victim who settled with Tui for £4,000 was 31-year-old Jess Richards, who fell seriously ill during her honeymoon at the Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in October 2025. After testing positive for shigella back in the UK, she accused the company of failing to warn her of the risk, stating: 'I was never made aware before I went that something was going on. There was never an email. There's nothing in the hotel.'
