Inquest rules former Thomas Cook agent died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Egypt
Harry KembleA former Thomas Cook agent and her husband died in Egypt from carbon monoxide poisoning after the room next to theirs was fumigated following a report of a bed bug infestation, an inquest has ruled.
Susan Cooper, who worked at Thomas Cook agency in Burnley, was on holiday with her husband John at the Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada when they fell ill in August 2018.
Preston Coroner’s Court heard how the room next to theirs had been fumigated with a pesticide, called Lambda, on the eighth day of their holiday following a report of a bedbug infestation.
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, ruled the couple’s deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of inhaling vapour from spraying the pesticide which contained dichloromethane.
The inquest heard in some countries, the pesticide Lamda is sometimes diluted with dichloromethane, which causes the body to metabolise or ingest carbon monoxide.
Hours later, the couple returned to their room for the night but were found seriously ill the next day by their daughter Kelly Ormerod. At the time of their deaths, Thomas Cook removed all of its customers from the hotel.
The inquest also heard of repeated attempts to obtain more documents and information from the Egyptian authorities despite numerous attempts from the Foreign Office.
Ormerod said: “After more than five years of waiting, we’ve finally been given some closure around the deaths of mum and dad. Our family still struggle to comprehend what we went through that day and feel like it should never have happened.”
She added: "The last few years have been the most traumatic time for all of us. Having to relive everything at the inquest has been harrowing but it was something we had to do for mum and dad.
"We’d do anything to have them back in our lives but we take some small comfort from at least having the answers we deserve."
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