Jess Battison
A widower is taking legal action after his beloved wife died following an illness on their dream holiday.
Jane and Michael Pressley went to a five-star resort in Cape Verde for two weeks to celebrate her 62nd birthday in November last year.
The mum-of-two fell ill just two days into their holiday at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, a five-star resort that now has 350 previous guests taking legal action against TUI, reports Mail Online.
Towards the end of last year, lots of Brits were reporting cases of sickness at the hotel and holidaymakers claimed they’d been served food covered in flies as well as what looked like raw chicken, plus reporting a strong sulphur smell.
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During this dream-turned-nightmare holiday, both husband and wife were unwell but Michael recovered within a week.
However, after gastric and flu-like symptoms on holiday, Jane got even worse after returning home on 12 December. She had a pre-existing condition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was taken to hospital on Christmas Eve.
Michael tells Mail Online: “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.”
His care assistant wife died on 5 January with the cause of death confirmed to be ‘infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease’.
Michael says: “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.”
The pair share two daughters, Lucy Ambrose, 37, and Porcia Stow, 30. When Jane passed away in hospital, Porcia was pregnant with her first child.
“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,” Michael adds.
Michael has now launched a case against TUI in connection with both their illness and his wife’s death.
Representing Michael is international injury lawyer Jatinder Paul who tells Mail Online: “The first-hand account we've heard from Michael regarding the illness he and Jane suffered during their holiday is deeply concerning.
“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.”
Other guests also reported being hit by gastric illness in November last year, with 80 Brits who stayed at the same hotel between May and October 2022, also taking action.
One couple said their ‘dream holiday’ ended up being a ‘total nightmare’.
A spokesperson from TUI told Tyla: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the Pressley family. As this is now a legal matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further."
Tyla have reached out to Riu Palace Hotel for comment.