Paulette Crookes, celebrated her 70th birthday by renting out a holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight which had a hot tub but she tragically later died from Legionnaires’ disease
A woman who rented out a holiday cottage with a hot tub to celebrate her birthday with friends died after picking up a dangerous illness, an inquest heard.
Paulette Crookes had been celebrating her 70th birthday with family at a rental property at Tapnell Farm on the Isle of Wight. The retired butcher’s assistant, from Rochford in Essex but living in Sandown, Isle of Wight, had booked the getaway with 10 relatives, choosing the cottage partly because of its hot tub.
But less than a month later, she tested positive for legionella, a dangerous water-borne bacteria that can cause the severe lung infection Legionnaires’ disease. She died on March 8, 2020.
An inquest at Newport, Isle of Wight, which had been delayed by the pandemic, heard the family arrived at the property on February 7, 2020, using the tub several times throughout the weekend. Paulette’s daughter Nicola Vaughan, 51, said her mum “really did spend a lot of time in the hot tub that afternoon and evening, making use of this facility”.
But by the next day, Mrs Vaughan had noticed something was wrong. She told the inquest: “There was a strange smell. It was a bit of a musty smell. Also, the water was a bit cloudy. It looked a bit off-colour, not the colour water should be.”
By day three, the family said the water appeared even worse. Mrs Vaughan said said: “I noticed that the unpleasant odour was still there and slightly strong, and the colour of the water was slightly green.”
On the final day of the holiday, Mrs Crookes said she felt unwell and left early. Several family members reportedly fell ill after the stay, including Mrs Crookes’ grandchildren, who developed rashes. The family later emailed the cottage, reporting that some relatives were “ill” and “rashy”, warning that the hot tub needed cleaning. In their email, they said doctors had said “the rash is a direct result of a poorly maintained hot tub”.
They told the inquest that at no point did they see the water being checked. Denise Scott, 48, another of Paulette’s daughters, said: “From the time we arrived to the time we left, I can confirm that I did not see anyone check or test the water in the hot tub.” The family added they were awake at different times of the day and night, and their dogs would likely have barked if staff had approached the tub.
After returning home, Mrs Crookes’ condition continued to deteriorate, the inquest heard, as she suffered with dizziness and vomiting. By February 16, she was rushed to hospital and transferred to ICU, where she wore a mask to help with her breathing.
Her daughter Mrs Scott recalled: “Mum struggled to sleep with the face mask, as when she dropped off the suction of the mask panicked her, so after a few days she was exhausted.”
Doctors placed her into an induced coma on February 18 to help her rest. Days later, ICU staff confirmed she had legionella. Mrs Crookes’ condition rapidly declined, suffering a stroke and a heart attack, and on March 8, she died after her breathing tubes were removed.
Her daughter Mrs Scott told the inquest: “This was an utterly horrific experience. I thought my heart was breaking it hurt so much.” Environmental Health teams visited Tapnell Farm on February 19, intending to take samples for Legionnaires’ disease, but found no positive results. However, other hot tubs on the site recorded a poor reading.
The council later told the family they would not pursue prosecution. Tapnell Farm housekeeping manager Joanna Lloyd, who was responsible for cleaning and maintaining hot tubs, also gave evidence at the hearing. She said: “I do not recall seeing any problems with the hot tub. If there was, I would have reported them.”
She insisted she had tested the water daily during the family’s stay, although Coroner Caroline Sumeray asked questions about whether this had actually taken place. Mrs Sumeray told the jury that the central question they must answer is whether Mrs Crookes contracted an infection during the visit to Tapnell Farm and whether this contributed to her death.
The jury inquest is expected to last up to two weeks.
