POISONED?
Brit Thomas Cook couple ‘died of respiratory failure’ in Egypt hotel as daughter says deaths are ‘suspicious’
A BRITISH couple who died while on holiday in Egypt fell ill after suffering "respiratory failure", local authorities revealed today.
The medical results come as John and Susan Cooper's devastated daughter Kelly revealed she believes something "suspicious" happened in their hotel room.
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According to , the local governor's office has said the cause of Mr Cooper's death was "a sudden stoppage of the heart muscles and respiratory failure", with his wife dying due to "a stoppage of circulation and respiratory failure".
It said of both: "There was no reason to suspect the death was of a criminal nature."
Builder John, 69, and his 64-year-old wife Susan, who worked for Thomas Cook in their hometown of Burnley, died at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada on Egypt's Red Sea coast on Tuesday.
The medical report comes after their daughter said her parents were in "good health" and she believed "something suspicious" had happened.
What we know so far...
- John, 69, and Susan Cooper, 64, died on Tuesday, Aug 21
- They were on holiday at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada with their daughter Kelly and her three children
- John Cooper died in a hotel room, while Susan died hours later in hospital
- Their devastated daughter said her parents 'died in front of her '
- Kelly said her parents were fit and healthy prior to their deaths
- Officials first insisted the couple died of "natural causes", claiming John had suffered a heart attack
- Thomas Cook are evacuating 300 holidaymakers at the hotel after 'raised levels of illness among guests'
- One man reportedly said his 16-year-old daughter is still "on her knees with food poisoning" after falling ill at the hotel
- Kelly says she believes "something suspicious" happened in her parents' hotel room
- A medical examination has revealed the couple died after suffering "respiratory failure"
It was previously speculated that their deaths may have been caused by Carbon Monoxide poisoning, but there is "currently no evidence to support this", Thomas Cook said in a statement issued earlier today.
In a statement broadcast by , Kelly said: "I believe that something suspicious has gone on.
"I don't believe anybody has entered the room, but something has happened in that room for them both to be taken away from me.
"I watched them both die before my very eyes, and they had exactly the same symptoms."
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Kelly said she and her children were in a different hotel room in a separate block, while her parents had their own room.
She said: "On Monday evening, both my parents were in good health and great spirits. They went to bed that evening, and woke up the following day.
"On my entrance to their bedroom, they were extremely ill. Medical attention was called for, but they were unable to keep my dad alive and my dad actually died in the hotel room. They then sent my mum to the hospital where they were unfortunately unable to revive her at hospital and save her life."
"They couldn't save dad," she said. "He died there in the room before my eyes."
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She continued: "My mum was alive in the ambulance, she was alive when we approached hospital and she died at hospital."
"I have to keep strong for the children's sake, I need to keep a focused mind to get myself and my children out of this country and back to the UK to close family.
"I am basically at the beck and call of the authorities, they have the control of when me and my children leave this country and they will give me no indication of when I will leave."
Kelly had earlier said her parents were ";fit and healthy" before their holiday at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
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She said the family were in "utter shock" as they awaited results of post-mortem examinations on the couple, who had booked the holiday with Thomas Cook.
In a statement to Lancashire-based radio station , Mrs Ormerod said: "As a family we are devastated. Mum and Dad meant the world to me and the children, and we are in utter shock over what has happened and what is happening.
"Prior to going on holiday, Mum and Dad were fit and healthy. They had no health problems at all."
"What I want is to clear up some of what is being reported. We have no cause of death, a post-mortem is underway."
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Kelly continued: "Dad never went to hospital - he died in the hotel room in front of me. I went to hospital in the ambulance with Mum, where she passed away."
Kelly said she "wants answers" following her parents' tragic deaths.
She said: "My focus is on getting my children home. All we want is answers about what has happened and a cause of death."
A LUNG CONDITION THAT REQUIRES URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION
Respiratory failure can be caused by two things.
Either your lungs can’t pump oxygen into your body properly, or it cannot remove carbon dioxide from your blood.
An acute build-up of fluid on the lungs can stop your lungs releasing oxygen into your body.
When this happens your organs aren’t getting the vital supply of oxygen they need, so they begin to shut down.
When your lungs can’t remove carbon dioxide from your body a similar thing happens.
The capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, surrounding your air sacs can’t properly exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen.
When this happens your organs become overloaded with carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, so they shut down.
When someone has acute respiratory failure the symptoms are immediate and fatal if not treated quickly.
What triggers respiratory failure?
There are several things that can cause respiratory failure, the most common being obstruction or injury to the airway.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome can also trigger failure.
It’s a condition characterised by low oxygen in the blood and may be caused by:
- Pneumonia
- Pancreatitis
- Severe trauma
- Sepsis
- Brain injuries
- Lung injuries
Drug and alcohol misuse, inhaling chemicals and a stroke can also cause respiratory failure.
What do to if someone goes into respiratory failure:
Call 999 immediately.
Respiratory failure is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.
Once an ambulance is on the way, talk to the person and try to get them to breathe as calmly as possible to minimise how much oxygen then lose.
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Previously, friends of the couple speculated they were killed by high levels of carbon monoxide in their room.
One pal told The Sun: “No one can be sure until the postmortem.
“Some people have heard that Kelly felt unwell and went for a walk.
"When she came back her parents were dead.”
According to , daughter Kelly had told local officials that she believes the couple may have been killed by faulty air conditioning.
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Governor of Hurghada Ahmed Abdallah told the paper: “Their daughter said to the prosecutors that there might [have been a] leaking air conditioner. This claim is not logical because the air conditioner of the hotel is central and if there is a leak it would have affected all the 2,500 guests at the hotel.
"Also, we took a sample of the food of the hotel for testing. But if there is a problem with the food it would have affected other people."
He added that the daughter's claim had led to an order for an autopsy on Mrs Cooper, but there would be no post-mortem examination on Mr Cooper as the official claimed he "clearly suffered a heart attack".
He also insisted to the couple died from "natural causes" and Mr Cooper had died in hospital - claims which daughter Kelly has since disputed.
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Susan, from Burnley, Lancs, worked at her local Thomas Cook travel agency. It was shut following her death.
But a colleague at a nearby Thomas Cook said: “She had gone on a trip of a lifetime and sadly will never come back. It’s heartbreaking and tragic.”
John, a former bouncer, owned the Burnley building firm JJ Cooper’s.
Paying tribute to the couple, the Cooper’s neighbours told The Sun Online: "They were a smashing couple. They seemed so happy together and were always smiling. We will miss them."
Bus transports tourists from Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel as Thomas Cook evacuates site in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada after two Britons died
And Martin Roche, the Provincial Secretary of Craft Masonry of East Lancashire, said John was a much "loved and well respected" Freemason.
"He was a tireless supporter of many projects and fundraising events and his very ‘hands on’ approach to our work and larger-than-life personality has meant that his death has had a huge impact on so many of our members.
"His wit, his compassion, his energy but above all else, his friendship will be missed by us all. Our thoughts and our prayers will remain with his family at this very difficult time."
A neighbour of Kelly’s said she and her mum were "so close".
"I can’t imagine what Kelly is going through. It must be awful.
"There are so many different rumours about how they died... I just hope Kelly finds out the truth.
"Kelly was so close to her mum. They would spend a lot of time together. We just feel ever so sorry for all the family."
Thomas Cook announced that all its holidaymakers would be removed from the hotel as a precaution as they received further reports of "raised levels of illness among guests".
Inside look at Thomas Cook hotel in Egypt, The Steigenberger Aqua Magic where two Brits have died
Thomas Cook said guests would be offered alternative hotels within Hurghada from Friday onwards, as well as giving them the option to return home.
A spokesman said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of two of our customers that were staying in the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt.
"The circumstances of their deaths are still unclear. We are aware of the speculation in some of today’s media that their deaths may have been caused by Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Currently we have no evidence to support this.
"We have also received further reports of a raised level of illness among guests. Safety is always our first priority, so as a precautionary measure we have taken a decision to remove all our customers from this hotel."
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Fellow guest Alison Cope, 44, from Moseley, Birmingham, said she has been at the hotel for two weeks, and five out of seven of her family members have been ill for around 10 days.
She said: "The food is just disgusting, it's undercooked. I know so many people have been ill.
"Half the time we don't know what it is and can't eat it because it's raw in the middle. We've spent almost two weeks at a five-star hotel eating bread and chips because we at least know what it is."
She added that a woman believed to be the couple's daughter mentioned a faulty air conditioning unit.
Ms Cope said: "I believe it was Kelly - she approached us at the drinks and said 'Are you English?' She was very upset, saying 'It's the air conditioning'. But we just don't know."
Ms Cope said she believes most guests are choosing to fly home rather than move to another hotel.
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A number of past guests of the hotel have said they have fallen ill since their stay.
One man told his 16-year-old daughter is still "on her knees with food poisoning" after falling ill at the Aqua Magic last week.
He said: "She was on holiday with her boyfriend and three other families and many of them became ill.
"We flew her home and she's been extremely ill ever since - her mum's been crying and so worried about her. The Queen Elizabeth hospital confirmed it was food poisoning."
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Daley Thompson tweeted today: "@ThomasCookUK I came back from aqua magic last Saturday and have had bad guts since! Do I need to worry after the news that as been released tonight?"
Kal-Sham said on a TripAdvisor review of the hotel in May: "All 4 of us got ill (vomiting & diarrhoea) and ended up in hospital with the children (aged 2.5 & 1). My son was hospitalised again on our return."
He added that the "bathroom was smelly" and he saw "birds eating at the food".
Janine Traviss, another former guest who fell ill at the hotel, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire: "They said they would offer free room service if we were to stay in our room, but advised us not to visit the communal dining area where all the other holidaymakers were. "
Brit tourist Janine Traviss who fell ill at at Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel claims reception 'told them not to visit communal dining area'
She continued: "I was just so hellbent on getting home so we could be safe and have treatment at home."
"I'm now at the end of my three weeks of antibiotics so clearly there was infection and illness there, it was quite severe."
She also said throughout their holiday, the electrics and air conditioning would "go off and then kick back in".
She also claimed staff fumigated their hotel room bathroom once they realised Ms Traviss and her family were ill.
Brit tourists 'worried about eating or drinking at Egypt hotel' after death of John and Susan Cooper
Janette Rawlingson also told the broadcaster they are "worried about eating or drinking at the hotel".
"I've had an upset stomach overnight. Only because of my persistence, [staff] went out to a local supermarket to get my two children some food as I didn't want them eating in the restaurant... Basically they don't know what's happened at all."
Susan worked at a local branch in Chancery Walk, Burnley, which was closed as a mark of respect.
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A colleague told : "We are a close team and we know the member of staff who died. It is heartbreaking and tragic.
"Mrs Cooper had gone on a trip of a lifetime and sadly will never come back. The store is closed as a sign of respect. The team there are devastated and closed up shop yesterday."
A friend of the couple also reportedly said they were "devoted to each other and couldn't live without each other".
Alban Barker, who lives close to the Coopers' home and knew Mr Cooper for around 30 years, paid tribute to a "really great couple".
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He said Mr Cooper was a clay pigeon shooting enthusiast and had carried out extensive building work for him, his daughters, and friends, and was an "extremely good, very reliable builder".
The 70-year-old said: "They were Burnley season ticket-holders and used to come into the local pub after games for a chat. I'll be going tonight and the mood may be quite sombre.
"I bumped into them the other week and told him 'It's about time you retired' and he just laughed and said 'I'm fine, I'm fit enough'. He looked well, did John, he was a strong man. They were both working and were quite fit people, his is a physical job.
"They both worked jolly hard and used to go on holiday regularly. They seemed to go everywhere together."
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The company's Head of Customer Welfare Carol Mackenzie flew out to the resort following their deaths to meet with relatives of the couple and offer support.
The Thomas Cook spokesman added on Thursday: "For those customers who choose to come home, we have made arrangements to fly them back tomorrow, August 24.
"While we understand this is upsetting for those on holiday, we believe this is the right thing to do."
In a statement Mr. Geiger, General Manager at Aqua Magic said: “We are deeply saddened by the death. In such a circumstance, very little can be said that will help. This makes it even more important to stick to the facts.
"The doctor’s preliminary report indicates that death was due to natural causes. There are no indications to support allegations of an increased incidence of illness at the hotel.
"Such rash speculations should urgently be put aside out of respect for the family members of the deceased persons and for other guests.”
Thomas Cook promo video for Hurghada on Egypt's Red Sea coast
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
Hurghada is a beach resort town along Egypt's Red Sea coast, popular with British tourists.
The exclusive Steigenberger Aqua Magic has 394 rooms, 294 family rooms and 15 suites.
Last year we revealed how Brit tourists were flocking to the resort after the Foreign Office warned against travelling to Sharm El Sheikh.
On its website, Thomas Cook describes Hurghada as "the capital of the Red Sea Riviera, where beautiful beaches, vibrant nightclubs and world-class diving destinations await."
It comes three years after the firm apologised and paid an undisclosed sum of money to the parents of two children who died while on holiday booked through Thomas Cook in 2006.
Christi and Bobby Shepherd were killed by carbon monoxide fumes from a faulty water boiler while on holiday in Greece.
Thomas Cook was cleared of responsibility at a trial in Greece in 2010 and awarded damages against the hotel's owner.
But in 2015 an inquest in the UK ruled that Thomas Cook had ";breached its duty of care" to the children.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in Hurghada, Egypt and we are in contact with the local tour operator.”
Corfu deaths inquest: Mum Sharon Wood says 'I will always hold Thomas Cook responsible' for deaths of children Christi and Bobby Shepherd
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