A British couple who unexpectedly became ill while staying in an Egyptian hotel room died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning a pathologist has ruled.
However, Blackburn Coroner’s Court has been unable to determine the origin of the toxic gas that led to the deaths of John Cooper, aged 69, and his wife Susan, aged 63.
The Coopers from Burnley, Lancashire, died suddenly on August 21, 2018, while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egypt.
A statement from a German tourist, presented during the inquest, mentioned that there had been a bed bug infestation in the room next door to the Coopers’ room. This infestation was treated with a pesticide known as “Lambda” around lunchtime, and the Coopers fell ill in the early hours, ultimately dying the following day.
The couple’s granddaughter, Molly Ormerod, who is currently 18 years old, and who was staying in the same room as them at the time, noted that a strong “strong yeasty smell” emerged after the air conditioning system was adjusted the day before.
In the early hours of August 21 2018 when Molly was 12 years old, she asked to be taken to her mother, who was staying in a separate room with her younger siblings.
She had been having stomach pains and remarked that the odour in her grandparents’ room was making her feel sick.
When John brought Molly into the room at 1am, his daughter Kelly Ormerod, 46, noticed that he appeared to be in good health and showed no signs of illness.
When her parents didn’t come downstairs for breakfast the next morning, Kelly went to check on them.
John answered the door while wrapped in a towel around his waist.
He stumbled back into the room before dropping into the single bed, he appeared shaky on his feet. According to Kelly, Susan was groaning on the double bed.
Home Office pathologist Dr Charles Wilson gave a cause of death for Mr Cooper as carbon monoxide toxicity and heart disease and for Mrs Cooper, carbon monoxide toxicity.
When her parents didn’t come downstairs for breakfast the next morning, Kelly went to check on them. James answered the door while wrapped in a towel around his waist. He stumbling back into the room before dropping into the single bed, he appeared shaky on his feet. According to Kelly, Susan was groaning on the double bed.
Dr Wilson said: “What you have here is a situation whereby the trajectory of the Coopers’ deaths, the circumstances surrounding it, how that evolved is not compatible with natural disease.
“It is typical of something in the environment and carbon monoxide is a common environmental toxin. It shows lots of features I would expect to see in carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It’s exactly what I would expect to see in people poisoned by carbon monoxide.”
The hearing was adjourned until Friday.
