Six British holidaymakers have tragically died after contracting severe gastric illnesses while on holiday in Cape Verde, with four of these fatalities occurring within a devastating four-month period. Families of the victims are now making serious allegations about substandard hygiene at the all-inclusive resorts where they stayed, claiming these conditions directly contributed to the deaths.
A Pattern of Tragedy
The recent deaths include 64-year-old Elena Walsh from Birmingham, 55-year-old Mark Ashley from Bedfordshire, 64-year-old Karen Pooley from Gloucestershire, and an unnamed 56-year-old man. All passed away between August and November 2025 after developing severe gastric symptoms. Legal firm Irwin Mitchell is currently representing more than 1,500 other holidaymakers who have reported falling seriously ill after visiting the West African islands.
Families' Distressing Accounts
Mark Ashley's wife Emma, 55, described how their £3,000 October holiday at the five-star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal turned into a nightmare. "We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered," she shared. The self-employed forklift truck driver began experiencing stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and extreme lethargy just three days into their trip. After returning to the UK, Mark collapsed at his Houghton Regis home on November 12 and was pronounced dead minutes after arriving at hospital.
Elena Walsh's holiday was meant to be a double celebration marking her husband's 60th birthday and their son's engagement. Instead, the part-time nurse and mother of one began suffering sickness, diarrhoea and heavy sweats just a week into their £5,000 stay at the Riu Cabo Verde resort. She died two days later in August 2025. Her husband Patrick, married to Elena for nearly 40 years, expressed serious concerns about hygiene standards during their 12-night stay.
Allegations of Poor Standards
Families have reported multiple hygiene issues at the resorts, including:
- Improperly cooked food served lukewarm
- Poor sanitation practices
- Water storage left exposed to sunlight
- Concerns about pool water quality
- Inadequate response to guest illnesses
Patrick Walsh specifically noted that "the food was often lukewarm, the cheese on the pizza was not melted properly and seemed undercooked" and observed people standing in the pool bar all day without using toilet facilities, with the water "changing colour."
Additional Tragic Cases
Karen Pooley's case involved additional complications. The retired mother-of-two from Lydney became sick with gastric symptoms during her £3,000 fortnight's holiday at the Riu Funana resort in October 2025. While ill, she slipped on water from a leaking fridge while going to the bathroom, fracturing her femur. After being transferred to a local clinic and then airlifted to Tenerife for urgent care, she passed away on October 17.
Her husband Andy, 62, described Karen as "the kindest, loveliest person" and expressed devastation at how "she went on holiday and never came home." He noted poor communication from both the clinic and their holiday provider during her illness.
Legal Action and Operator Response
Families of all six individuals – which also include Jane Pressley, 62, of Gainsborough who died in January 2023, and an unnamed man in his 60s from Watford who died in November 2024 – are making personal injury claims for damages against TUI, the provider of many package holidays to Cape Verde.
Jatinder Paul, 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 continued: "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."
A spokesperson for RIU Hotels & Resorts responded: "At RIU Hotels & Resorts, the health and safety of our guests is always our main priority. We reiterate that the health and well-being of our customers come first. Our commitment is to always provide maximum safety and high-quality service."
The company emphasized that their hotels in Cape Verde follow "the strictest international health and hygiene standards" certified by external consultancy firms. TUI has been contacted for comment regarding the allegations.
