Couple died on holiday after room next door fumigated for bed bugs

A couple died while on holiday in Egypt after the room next door to theirs was fumigated with chemicals to kill bed bugs.

John Cooper, 69, and Susan Cooper, 63, died on August 21st, 2018 at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where they had been staying.

An inquest into their deaths, which has taken place this week, heard an expert report of how the couple may have died after the possibility being exposed to ‘infectious biological agent or toxic chemicals’.

The inquest is took place at Blackburn Coroner’s court where it heard a German tourist give a statement to say he reported a bed bug infestation while staying in the room next to Mr and Mrs Cooper’s, who were from Burnley.

Dominik Bibi’s room was treated with the pesticide called Lambda at around lunchtime, on August 20th, 2018 as he saw staff using masking tape around the door to seal the room.

Mr Bibi added: “I would not say the job was very professional.” The two rooms had an adjoining door which was locked.

The couple fell ill in the early hours of the morning, and sadly died the following day.

The daughter of Mr and Mrs Cooper, Kelly Ormerod, described her parents as being fit and healthy for their age and had been enjoying a ‘brilliant’ family holiday with her, their three grandchildren and friends when they died.

Ms Ormerod, a civil servant with HMRC, said her dad who was a builder and mum who worked as a bureau de change cashier, enjoyed several holidays a year.

According to Ms Ormerod, her mum had been to the same hotel in April earlier that year and described it as being ‘fabulous’ so they decided to go back with the whole family.

On the evening of August 20th, the family and friends went to the hotel bar and restaurant before retiring to their rooms for the night.

Ms Ormerod’s daughter, Molly, who was 12 at the time, was staying in the single bed in her grandparents’ room, which she said had a ‘yeasty smell’.

Then at around 1am Mr Cooper rang to say Molly was feeling unwell and took her up to her mum’s room on another floor.

The next morning, the Coopers failed to show up for breakfast so Ms Ormerod went to their ground floor room to discover they were both seriously ill.

She said her dad came to the door retching saying, ‘I really don’t feel very well’.

She said her mother was in bed ‘groaning’ and had vomit in her hair. Ms Ormerod also noticed a strange, ‘heavy’ smell.

Two doctors were called to the room but Ms Ormerod said they were in ‘panic mode’ as her parents quickly deteriorated and her father struggled to breathe.

In tears, Ms Ormerod said: “His eyes, kind of …a glazed, staring look.”

The inquest heard how CPR was attempted on Mr Cooper but that he was declared dead on the hotel room floor while Mrs Cooper was rushed to the hotel clinic, where she became ‘super agitated’ and delirious.

Mrs Cooper was taken to hospital by ambulance but was declared dead at 4.12pm. Both Mr and Mrs Cooper’s bodies were returned to the UK in sealed, zinc-lined coffins, the inquest heard.