'Mum might still be alive without Tui errors'

The family of a woman who died after falling ill with a stomach bug at a five-star resort in Cape Verde has accused package holiday firm Tui of a "catalogue of errors" in the days before her death.

Karen Pooley, from Lydney in Gloucestershire, became severely unwell with sickness and diarrhoea during her stay at the all-inclusive Riu Funana resort in Sal in October.

The 64 year-old is one of six Britons who died after holidaying on the island country since January 2023, all of whose families are now making personal injury claims against Tui.

Tui did not respond directly to the family's complaints but previously said it was investigating the claims.

The firm declined to comment further while legal proceedings were active.

Karen's daughter, Liz, said she believed her mother contracted shigella while on holiday, a bacterial infection that can affect the gut.

"She and her friend were so unwell they couldn't even leave the room," Liz told the BBC.

"Mum tried to get to the bathroom in the night, slipped on water from a leak the hotel had already been told about, and fell. We later learned she'd broken her femur."

Liz said the Tui representative's help was inconsistent and wasn't available enough when her mother needed her support.

"There were delays, confusion and a language barrier at every turn," she added.

"No one who could interpret, no one to guide them."

A nurse eventually took her mum to Clinitur clinic on Sal island, but Liz said it was almost impossible for the family to get updates.

The clinic hasn't yet responded to the BBC's requests for comment.

"We couldn't get anyone to answer the phone," she said. "We begged for an interpreter.

"My mum was confused, in pain and unable to communicate."

She was eventually airlifted by her insurance company north-east to Tenerife in the Canary Islands for urgent care on 16 October and died in the early hours of the next day.

The cause of death was sepsis and multi-organ failure.

"It happened in a matter of days," Liz said. "A fall, an infection, and then she was gone."

"We never got to say goodbye. Not properly."

Liz said she believes her mum would have had a better chance at survival had Tui acted differently.

"The lack of communication slowed the response time, and the response time from Tui to then the clinic," she said.

"That is why my mum's not here anymore."

The family said they continued receiving automated messages from Tui asking Pooley to rate her holiday, even after her death. A Tui rep sent a message to Karen's phone after she had passed away asking how she was.

"It made us feel like she was just a number," Liz said. "To us she was everything."

Liz said the family's decision to speak publicly is driven by a desire to prevent other families from facing similar circumstances.

"Our mum should have come home. No family should have to go through this."

Since 1 October, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 118 cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to trips to Cape Verde.

It said the majority of shigella cases were among people who had been to the Santa Maria and Boa Vista areas.

In a statement, a spokesperson for RIU Hotels and Resorts said: "The health and safety of our guests is always our main priority.

"Our hotels in Cape Verde follow the strictest international health and hygiene standards, certified by external prestigious consultancy firms, specialized in health and safety."

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.