Families of four Brits who died after Cape Verde stomach bugs pursue legal action
Elena Walsh, 64, Mark Ashley, 55, Karen Pooley, 64, and a 56-year-old man all died last year in separate incidents after visiting Cape Verde
Four British holidaymakers have tragically died within four months of contracting severe stomach bugs while on trips to Cape Verde, with their families now pursuing legal action.
These four are among six Britons who have died following holidays to the West African islands since January 2023, according to law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is investigating the cases.
The recent fatalities include Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, Karen Pooley, 64, from Gloucestershire, and a 56-year-old man. All succumbed to severe gastric illnesses last year.
Mark Ashley’s wife, Emma, 55, expressed her family’s "complete shock" over his death.
"We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered," she said.
Three days into their October holiday in 2025, Mr Ashley, a self-employed forklift truck driver, developed symptoms including stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and extreme lethargy.
The couple had booked their £3,000 trip with Tui and stayed at the five-star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal.
Mrs Ashley reported her husband’s illness via the Tui app on 9 October 2025 and has since raised concerns about the hotel’s hygiene standards. Upon their return to the UK, Mr Ashley’s symptoms persisted.
The father-of-two, who managed diabetes with medication, collapsed at home in Houghton Regis and was rushed to hospital on 12 November, but was pronounced dead minutes later. His death has been referred to the coroner.
Part-time nurse and mother-of-one Elena Walsh died in August 2025 after falling ill while staying at the Riu Cabo Verde resort on the same island.
Karen Pooley, from Lydney, travelled with a friend to the Riu Funana resort in Sal on 7 October 2025 for a two-week holiday, also booked through Tui.
The retired mother-of-two became unwell on 11 October with gastric symptoms, including diarrhoea.
In the early hours of the following day, she slipped on water leaking from a fridge while going to the bathroom.
She was transferred to a local clinic, where she continued to suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting, alongside severe pain from a fractured femur. Ms Pooley was airlifted to Tenerife for urgent care on 16 October but died the next morning.
Her husband, Andy, 62, shared his devastation: "We’re utterly heartbroken. Karen was the kindest, loveliest person. She was a devoted wife and mum who loved swimming, walking the dog in the Forest of Dean, and volunteered at a local charity shop. She was also a wonderful friend who lit up every room she entered."
He noted his wife appeared in "significant distress" during video calls and criticised the poor communication from the clinic and holiday provider. "We were desperate for updates while watching Karen get worse," he added.
"We’re devastated and struggling to understand how she went on holiday and never came home." Ms Pooley’s initial death certificate cited multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardio-respiratory arrest, and a broken left leg.
Irwin Mitchell is representing the families of all six deceased individuals, as well as over 1,500 other people who have fallen ill after visits to Cape Verde.
The other two Britons who died since 2023 are Jane Pressley, 62, of Gainsborough, who passed away in January 2023 after falling ill at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, Sal, the previous November, and a man in his 60s from Watford, who died in November 2024 after suffering gastric illness.
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, highlighted the severity of the situation.
"The number of holidaymakers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering. Nothing brings the gravity of this situation into sharper focus than these recent deaths," he stated.
"In my experience I’m used to supporting holidaymakers who have fallen ill at resorts across the globe, but I’ve never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time."
Mr Paul added: "It’s almost incomprehensible that holidaymakers continue to describe the hygiene issues at these Cape Verde hotels year-after-year. Each case isn’t a statistic; it’s a human story of how lives have been turned upside down."
He urged tour operators to take "meaningful and decisive action" to address the reported hygiene problems, emphasising their responsibility for the safety of package holiday customers.
The families of all six deceased are pursuing personal injury claims for damages against Tui, which provided many of the package holidays to the island nation.
Tui has been contacted for comment.
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