Leslie Green had travelled with his wife to the Canary Islands to celebrate his 70th (Picture: SWNS)
A British dad died after being struck down with salmonella while on a luxury family holiday in the Canary Islands.
Leslie Green was celebrating his 70th birthday at the four-star Occidental Jandia Playa resort in Fuerteventura when he fell ill during the second week of the £2,300 holiday.
When his condition worsened, he was taken to hospital, where the grandfather-of-one then developed complications, including sepsis and kidney failure, and passed away in hospital around four weeks later.
Leslie’s wife of 38 years, Julie, was also left seriously ill after she too got salmonella and spent a week in hospital.
Julie, of Little Lever, Bolton, has now asked specialist international serious injury lawyers to investigate their case.
She said the couple had concerns a carbonara sauce they ate one day was lukewarm while she found her chicken undercooked during another meal.
Julie is searching for answers after her husband died (Picture: SWNS)
She also claims she didn’t see any staff washing their hands and newly cooked food would be mixed with food that had been served.
Retired NHS assistant nurse Julie said: ‘When we booked the holiday to celebrate my 60th and Leslie’s 70th, we never imagined it would turn out the way it did.
‘During the second week of the holiday, Leslie became ill and got progressively worse. I soon knew it was serious and wasn’t just a 24-hour thing that would pass.
‘Seeing him in hospital in those last few days was awful. He looked so frail, and I felt so helpless as I couldn’t do anything for him. Saying goodbye to Leslie and seeing his life slip away is something I don’t think I’ll get over.’
Julie said Leslie was a ‘kind and gentle man’, who adored his family and enjoyed keeping fish, playing darts and pool, and supporting his football team, Bury FC.
‘Leslie and I had so many plans for our retirement, but I feel cheated that these have been taken away from us in the cruellest way. The least I deserve is answers.’
Leslie fell ill on October 9, and passed away on November 4 (Picture: SWNS)
A retired newspaper delivery driver for the Manchester Evening News, Leslie fell ill on October 9 with symptoms including diarrhoea, which led to dehydration.
Leslie, who tested positive for salmonella, was placed into an induced coma, yet he continued to deteriorate, and doctors said they could do nothing further for him.
He died hours after his life-support machine was switched off on November 4.
The couple’s daughter, Becci, 35, flew out to support her parents and to be at her dad’s bedside when his life-support machine was switched off.
Their eldest daughter, Sarah, 38, who is in end-stage kidney failure, had recently been discharged from intensive care so was not medically fit to fly.
Jennifer Hodgson, the expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Julie, said: ‘This is an extremely worrying case with the first-hand accounts we’ve heard from our clients who stayed at the resort at the same time being very similar.
‘The impact of salmonella and other gastric illnesses should never be downplayed. They can result in serious complications leading to serious injury and sadly death, as Leslie’s case tragically highlights.’
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