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’ together with her husband, son and future daughter-in-law to mark her husband’s sixtieth birthday and her son’s engagement.
She began to feel unwell on August 8, affected by sickness, diarrhoea and heavy sweats. Her condition worsened and she or he was taken first to a clinic, then to a hospital, where she died just two days later.
Her husband Patrick said: ‘Elena was the guts and soul of our family. She was caring, compassionate, and at all times put others first.
‘Elena was an exquisite wife, mum, and friend. She was loved by everyone who knew her.’
He added: ‘By the Saturday morning, she was so weak that she needed to be helped right into a wheelchair to be taken from our room and right into a taxi to go to the nearby clinic.
‘The care she received felt chaotic and we felt like we were at the hours of darkness around what was happening despite asking for updates.’
Patrick said: ‘After hours of attempting to treat her, they suddenly told us Elena’s organs were failing and there was nothing they may do for her.’
He also raised concerns concerning the food on the hotel, saying: ‘We were really frightened concerning the hygiene on the hotel – the food was often lukewarm, the cheese on the pizza was not melted properly and seemed undercooked.’
‘I discovered at times the food within the hotel was being rushed out to be served when it hadn’t been cooked properly and we noticed people standing within the pool bar all day, without leaving to go to the bathroom, with the water changing color.’
He said the family are ‘absolutely devastated’ by Elena’s death.
‘It has absolutely broken us as a family and certainly one of the toughest things to try to come back to terms with is the sudden and distressing way by which we lost her while we were alleged to be having fun with a family holiday, which was celebrating my sixtieth birthday and my son getting engaged.
‘I’m undecided we’ll ever recover from what happened to Elena, but we have now so many concerns about what caused her death.’
Patrick has instructed lawyers to look at the care his wife received.
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: ‘Elena’s family members are devastated by her death and the sudden circumstances surrounding it.’
The law firm is representing greater than 1,500 UK holidaymakers to Cape Verde who’ve fallen ailing over the past three years, including over 200 on the Riu Cabo Verde.
Paul added: ‘Understandably, they’ve numerous questions on how she contracted her illness and the care she received in Cape Verde.
‘While nothing could make up for his or her loss, we’re determined to no less than help establish the answers they deserve.’
He added: ‘We proceed to listen to too many concerning reports of individuals falling ailing at all-inclusive resorts across Cape Verde, including the Riu Cabo Verde.
‘It beggars belief that so many holidaymakers fall seriously ailing at this hotel year-on-year.’
The Riu Cabo Verde has been approached for comment.
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