Vomiting, diarrhea and coma instead of rest: the tour operator was sued after the death of a tourist at the resort from a serious infection

A tourist is suing tourism giant TUI after his wife died of a severe infection while vacationing in the Caribbean. The tragic incident occurred back in 2019, but the widower decided to file a lawsuit only now.

The background is as follows: during a 10-day stay at the Grand Sirenis in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), timed to coincide with her own 70th birthday, a woman fell ill. According to the Dailystar, she began vomiting, had diarrhea and had difficulty breathing before being taken to a local hospital. It was clarified that the victim was diagnosed with legionellosis, a severe form of pneumonia that usually occurs when air contaminated with Legionella pneumophila bacteria is inhaled from the air conditioner. Soon after, she was put into an induced coma and transferred to a Florida hospital for further treatment. The tourist stayed in a coma for more than a month, but never recovered. She passed away a week after her 70th birthday on September 29, 2019.

And despite the fact that death occurred three years ago, lawyers went to court with a lawsuit against the tour operator TUI. The husband of the deceased initiated an investigation to find out how his wife contracted the disease and whether her death could have been prevented. “Instead of celebrating my wife's 70th birthday, I spent it at her bedside. It was a terrible period. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, and I'm not sure I'll ever get over her loss. The initial shock was replaced by a numb feeling that I would never see her again. Coming to terms with this still seems impossible, and while nothing can bring her back, I'm more determined than ever to find out exactly what happened. This is the least she deserves,” the tourist explained his goal of going to court.

An attorney at Irwin Mitchell Law Firm, who represents the family in the case and filed a negligence lawsuit against the tour operator, said: “This is a tragic case that has had a profound impact on my husband, children and grandchildren. We have seen so many examples of the terrible impact Legionnaires' disease can have. The Lynn family still have questions about what happened and while they don't want to be in this situation anymore, they feel like they have no choice but to start legal proceedings to get an answer. As we approach our third anniversary, we are calling on TUI to help resolve this issue, but in the meantime, we remain determined to do our best to help the family.”

At the same time, a TUI spokesperson has already responded to the request: “Our thoughts remain with the tourist's widower and his family.
As this is a legal matter now, it would be inappropriate to comment on what happened. We would like to assure customers that we regularly audit all of our hotels regarding health and safety, including hygiene.”

Help: Legionellosis is Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia. The first mass outbreak of this disease occurred in 1976 among the participants of the convention of the American Legion, hence the name of the disease. The main symptoms are fever, chills, headache, malaise and muscle pain. The duration of the incubation period is from 2 to 10 days. Infection occurs due to the Legionella bacterium, which lives mainly in air conditioners, plumbing, decorative fountains and pools, and enters the body with drops of water.

For those who value a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: « A nutritionist revealed 5 healing properties of beets.

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Vomiting, diarrhea and coma instead of rest: the tour operator was sued after the death of a tourist at the resort from a serious infection

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