Home / Disasters and Accidents / Cape Verde Holidays Turn Deadly: Four Britons Dead
Cape Verde Holidays Turn Deadly: Four Britons Dead
1 Feb
Summary
- Four British citizens died in Cape Verde within four months from stomach bugs.
- Investigations into the deaths of six Britons since January 2023 are ongoing.
- Over 1,500 people reported falling ill after visiting the Cape Verde archipelago.
Tragic circumstances have unfolded in Cape Verde, where four British nationals succumbed to severe stomach illnesses within a span of four months last year. These include Mark Ashley, 55, Elena Walsh, 64, Karen Pooley, 64, and an unidentified 56-year-old man. These deaths are part of a larger pattern, with six Britons having died in the archipelago since January 2023.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing the families of the deceased and over 1,500 individuals who have fallen ill, stated that investigations into these fatalities are ongoing. Concerns have been raised regarding hygiene standards at resorts, with one wife reporting her husband's symptoms appearing just three days into their holiday and her subsequent report to the holiday firm.
One case involved Karen Pooley, who fell sick on October 11, 2025, with gastric symptoms. The following day, she fractured her femur after slipping on leaked water. She was transferred to Tenerife for treatment and passed away on October 17, 2025. Her initial death certificate indicated multi-organ failure and a broken leg as causes of death.
Another victim, Mark Ashley, experienced severe symptoms including stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever three days into his October 2025 holiday. He later collapsed at home and died in hospital on November 12, 2025, with his death referred to the coroner. The law firm has not detailed the circumstances of the 56-year-old man's death, nor that of a man from Watford who died in November 2024.
