Family fear mum who died on Cape Verde flight home 'may be next stomach bug victim'

Family fear mum who died on Cape Verde flight home 'may be next stomach bug victim'The family of a British mum who died flying back from Cape Verde fear she may be another victim of a sickness bug which, so far, is believed to have claimed the lives of seven peopleNewsAndy Lines12:56, 05 Apr 2026Updated 12:56, 05 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesFears that there may be eight victims of Cape Verde sickness bug(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)The family of a British woman who died flying back from Cape Verde fear she may be the eighth victim of a sickness bug which has blighted the holiday islands. The 71-year-old mum of two died after she suffered a cardiac arrest on her flight back to Gatwick two years ago, but her family has only spoken about it now. They found a makeshift diary the woman, a retired civil servant from Berkshire, had kept written detailing her illness just a few weeks later.‌After learning about an investigation earlier this year which revealed four British tourists had died after getting sick on the islands, the family have now redoubled their efforts to get answers about whether her sickness had contributed to her death.‌View 5 ImagesKaren Pooley - now fears that there may be eight victims of Cape Verde sickness bug(Image: PA)‌READ MORE: Seventh British tourist dies after falling ill on £6k Cape Verde holidayREAD MORE: Brit tourists issued urgent alert over Cape Verde travel after dozens catch stomach bugsHer two daughters, who want to keep their family's identity private, told The Sunday Times their father "has not been the same" since her death. The couple met when they were 17 and had been married for nearly 50 years."He definitely lost a part of himself that day," their younger daughter, 44, said. "He was absolutely broken. It was really quite horrific. It's really taken the wind out of his sails."The latest potential victim travelled to the west African archipelago in April 2024 with her husband, 72, and...