Care Assistant Died Three-And-A-Half Weeks After Returning From Holiday In Which Husband Also Fell Ill

A Lincolnshire widower has instructed lawyers to launch legal action following the death of a mum-of-two following gastric illness she suffered while holidaying at a five-star resort in Cape Verde.

Jane Pressley, from Gainsborough, travelled to the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria with her husband Michael in November last year.  The two-week holiday was booked through tour operator TUI UK Ltd to celebrate Jane’s birthday.

Two days in, Jane, who had a pre-existing condition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fell ill with gastric and flu-like symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.  Michael also became unwell but recovered within a week. However, Jane’s symptoms continued.

Following the couple’s return home, Jane’s illness worsened.  She was taken to hospital on Christmas Eve. The doctors treating Jane suspected that she had a bacterial infection so she was administered antibiotics.

She died less than two weeks later on 5 January, aged 62.

Following Jane’s death, her husband Michael, 62, instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate.

Irwin Mitchell has now launched a legal case against TUI in connection with Jane’s illness and death as well as Michael’s illness.

Expert Opinion

“The first-hand account we’ve heard from Michael regarding the illness he and Jane suffered during their holiday is deeply concerning.

“While Michael began to feel better within the first week, Jane’s illness continued and she sadly passed away in hospital less than a month after returning home from their holiday.

“We’re representing more than 350 others who fell seriously ill at this hotel in 2022. Therefore this latest development is of significant concern. The impact of such illnesses should never be downplayed as they can lead to long-term health issues and in some cases can prove fatal.

“While nothing will ever make up for Michael’s loss, we’re now investigating how he and Jane fell ill and the events leading up to Jane’s death. If during the course of our investigation any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to prevent other holidaymakers from falling ill, or worse, in the future.” Jatinder Paul, International Serious Injury lawyer

Care assistant Jane and Michael, a food production operative, arrived at the Riu Palace resort in Santa Maria, on 27 November, 2022, and returned to the UK on 12 December.

Over the following weeks, Jane’s condition deteriorated. She was taken to hospital on 24 December.

Jane died in hospital on 5 January, 2023. A death certificate confirmed her cause of death to be ‘infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.’

Jane leaves two daughters, Lucy Ambrose, 37, an office manager, and Porcia Stow, 30, a customer advisor. At the time of Jane’s death, Porcia was pregnant with her first child.

Michael said: “Jane and I had been looking forward to our holiday for such a long time, so we were really upset when we both fell ill.

“Within a week, my symptoms began to alleviate but Jane’s seemed to get worse.  It was awful to see her so unwell and not able to enjoy our time away, but not for one minute did we expect it to continue when we got home.

“By Christmas Eve, we were all very worried about Jane and felt she needed hospital treatment.  When we were told she might have a bacterial infection, it made sense as we had heard of others that had holidayed at the same place and had also been unwell.

“We thought she would get some antibiotics and she’d be fine. To then see her die within a few weeks is hard to accept.

“It’s been less than six months since we lost Jane and it’s a struggle every day to understand what happened.  To lose her so suddenly has absolutely devastated us all.  She was the most amazing person and enjoyed nothing more than being around family; we’re all totally lost without her.  She never even got to meet her grandchild.

“While nothing will ever bring her back, we need some answers.  It’s the least we deserve.”

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling holiday illness cases