A British mum has died after becoming unwell while staying at a five-star Cape Verde resort her family claims was beset by hygiene failures.
Elena Walsh, 64, was on a £5,000 ‘trip of a lifetime’ with her husband, son and future daughter-in-law to mark her husband’s 60th birthday and her son’s engagement.
She began to feel unwell on August 8, suffering from sickness, diarrhoea and heavy sweats. Her condition worsened and she was taken first to a clinic, then to a hospital, where she died just two days later.
Her husband Patrick said: ‘Elena was the heart and soul of our family. She was caring, compassionate, and always put others first.
‘Elena was a wonderful wife, mum, and friend. She was loved by everyone who knew her.’
He added: ‘By the Saturday morning, she was so weak that she had to be helped into a wheelchair to be taken from our room and into a taxi to go to the nearby clinic.
‘The care she received felt chaotic and we felt like we were in the dark around what was happening despite asking for updates.’
Patrick said: ‘After hours of trying to treat her, they suddenly told us Elena’s organs were failing and there was nothing they could do for her.’
He also raised concerns about the food at the hotel, saying: ‘We were really worried about the hygiene at the hotel – the food was often lukewarm, the cheese on the pizza was not melted properly and seemed undercooked.’
‘I found at times the food in the hotel was being rushed out to be served when it hadn’t been cooked properly and we noticed people standing in the pool bar all day, without leaving to go to the toilet, with the water changing colour.’
He said the family are ‘absolutely devastated’ by Elena’s death.
‘It has absolutely broken us as a family and one of the hardest things to try to come to terms with is the sudden and distressing way in which we lost her while we were supposed to be enjoying a family holiday, which was celebrating my 60th birthday and my son getting engaged.
‘I’m not sure we’ll ever get over what happened to Elena, but we have so many concerns about what caused her death.’
Patrick has instructed lawyers to examine the care his wife received.
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: ‘Elena’s loved ones are devastated by her death and the sudden circumstances surrounding it.’
The law firm is representing more than 1,500 UK holidaymakers to Cape Verde who have fallen ill over the last three years, including over 200 at the Riu Cabo Verde.
Paul added: ‘Understandably, they have a number of questions about how she contracted her illness and the care she received in Cape Verde.
‘While nothing can make up for their loss, we’re determined to at least help establish the answers they deserve.’
He added: ‘We continue to hear too many concerning reports of people falling ill at all-inclusive resorts across Cape Verde, including the Riu Cabo Verde.
‘It beggars belief that so many holidaymakers fall seriously ill at this hotel year-on-year.’
The Riu Cabo Verde has been approached for comment.
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