A British dad tragically died after being struck down with salmonella while on holiday with his family in the Canary Islands last year. On October 1, 2024 Leslie Green and his wife Julie arrived at the four-star Occidental Jandia Playa resort in Fuerteventura. The £2,300 vacation was booked to celebrate the couple's birthdays but just eight days later on October 9 illness took hold. Leslie's symptoms began with diarrhoea, which led to dehydration and his condition deteriorated rapidly. He was seen by the in-resort doctor on October 12 and taken by ambulance to the local clinic to be given fluids. However, his condition did not improve, and he was admitted to hospital the following day.

While in hospital Leslie, who was diagnosed with salmonella, experienced severe complications including kidney failure, pneumonia and sepsis – a condition where the body's response to infection causes it to attack itself. Despite being put into an induced coma, his health continued to worsen, leaving doctors helpless. READ MORE: American Airlines pilots made last-minute heroic attempt to save passengers but it was too late.

Leslie, who had celebrated his 70th birthday in July 2024, passed away just hours after his life-support machine was turned off on November 4. Their daughter, Becci, 35, flew out to support her parents and was present when her father's life-support machine was switched off. Their eldest daughter, Sarah, 38, who is battling end-stage kidney failure, had recently been released from intensive care and was medically unfit to travel.

His body was flown back home a week later, and a post-mortem examination was conducted on November 18, with results still pending. Julie, a retired NHS assistant nurse, expressed concerns about the food safety at the resort, including lukewarm carbonara sauce and undercooked chicken. She further noted an apparent lack of hand-washing among staff and the practice of mixing fresh fare with dishes that had been sitting out.

In a devastated state, Julie recounted: "I soon knew it was serious and wasn’t just a 24-hour thing that would pass. A few days later he was in hospital and then a week later I was as well. "I was lucky in that, while I was very poorly, I wasn’t as bad as Leslie. Seeing him in hospital in those last few days was awful. He looked so frail, and I felt so helpless as I couldn’t do anything for him. Saying goodbye to Leslie and seeing his life slip away is something I don’t think I’ll get over.".

Julie remembered Leslie as "one of the good guys" – a kind and gentle man who loved his family, enjoyed keeping fish, playing darts and pool, and supporting his football team, Bury FC. She said: "I still can’t comprehend how we went on holiday together, but Leslie never came home. If it wasn’t for the pain I wake with daily, it almost wouldn’t seem real. "Leslie and I had so many plans for our retirement, but I feel cheated that these have been taken away from us in the cruellest way. The least I deserve is answers.".

Jennifer Hodgson, the expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Julie, commented on the severity of the situation: "This is an extremely worrying case with the first-hand accounts we’ve heard from our clients who stayed at the resort at the same time being very similar.". She went on to stress the gravity of these illnesses: "The impact of salmonella and other gastric illnesses should never be downplayed. They can result in serious complications leading to serious injury and sadly death, as Leslie’s case tragically highlights.

"While nothing can make up for what’s happened, we’re now investigating our client’s concerns and are determined to provide them with not only the answers they deserve, but access to specialist rehabilitation and support.". With holiday season approaching, Hodgson warned, "With Fuerteventura also being a winter sun destination, we’d urge holidaymakers due to visit this resort in the coming weeks to take care. In the meantime, if during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.".