The family of a British mother who died while flying home from Cape Verde now fears she may be the eighth victim of a stomach bug outbreak that has plagued the holiday islands. The 71-year-old retired civil servant from Berkshire suffered a cardiac arrest on her flight to Gatwick two years ago, but her family has only recently come forward with their story.
Diary Reveals Holiday Illness Details
After learning about an investigation earlier this year that revealed four British tourists had died after falling ill in Cape Verde, the woman's family discovered a makeshift diary she had kept during her holiday. The diary, found in a Word Search book weeks after her death, documented her deteriorating health conditions at the hotel.
Hotel Conditions and Illness Onset
The woman recorded that her hotel room initially had no running water and a broken phone. After being moved to another room, she continued to experience water shortages. She wrote about "lukewarm" food and reported her concerns to a Tui representative at the hotel. Her gastric illness began shortly after and lasted for three days, with symptoms so severe she couldn't leave her room.
"Still no water to flush the toilet or shower," she wrote on April 26, 2024. The following day, she noted her stomach was "still upset," and on April 28, she recorded that staff had to "manually flush the toilet" due to the ongoing water shortage.
Tragic Flight Home
Despite beginning to feel better by April 29, the woman continued to experience health issues. She suffered an asthma attack triggered by grass cutting at the hotel pool. The couple flew home on May 2, but during the flight, her husband noticed her convulsing in her seat. A doctor passenger attempted to help but couldn't find a pulse. The woman died approximately 90 minutes before landing at Gatwick.
"It's just unfathomable that something like that can happen," said her younger daughter, 44. "For about three weeks afterwards, I was expecting Mum to come home. I couldn't believe that she wasn't coming home. It was such a shock, so sudden."
Family's Grief and Compensation
The woman's husband has been profoundly affected by her death. "He definitely lost a part of himself that day," their daughter explained. "He was absolutely broken. It was really quite horrific. It's really taken the wind out of his sails."
Tui initially offered £157 compensation for the lack of running water or 20% off a future holiday, which the family declined. They eventually accepted £500 as a goodwill gesture. "At the time, we were exasperated having dealt with Tui for three months," said the eldest daughter. "We accepted the £500 for lack of running water because we needed to focus on being together and grieving the loss of our mum. We had no idea other families were suffering too."
Post-Mortem Findings and Wider Outbreak
A post-mortem examination revealed the woman had an underlying heart condition unknown to her family, despite receiving a clean bill of health just three months before her holiday. The examination found that her gastric illness likely caused dehydration and fever, which "increased physiological demand on the body" and her enlarged heart. She was not tested for the specific cause of her gastric illness.
The woman's family represents the second to come forward publicly, joining the widow of a 52-year-old retired firefighter. This brings the potential death toll linked to Cape Verde illnesses since 2022 to eight. Other victims include Elena Walsh, 64, Karen Pooley, 64, Mark Ashley, 55, and a father of two from Chester, all of whom stayed in Riu hotel chain properties on Tui package holidays.
Official Statistics and Company Responses
Between September 2022 and March 2025, European health authorities recorded 766 confirmed and possible cases of shigellosis among tourists from 13 European countries who had traveled to Cape Verde. The UK had the highest number of positive tests with 263 cases, followed by Sweden with 120 and Germany with 92.
Meliá Hotels International stated: "While we are unable to comment on the specific circumstances of this case, we take all such matters extremely seriously. At Meliá Hotels International, the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest priority."
Tui responded: "We are deeply saddened by the reports of these tragic losses and extend our sincere condolences to the families affected. While we cannot comment on individual cases, customer health and safety is always our highest priority. We have established procedures in place to support any customer who becomes unwell while on holiday."
The company emphasized the importance of reporting illnesses while still in destination to receive appropriate support. Two other families have now instructed lawyers to investigate their relatives' deaths potentially linked to Cape Verde holidays.
