Delivery Driver And Family From Bromsgrove Among Those Struck Down With Gastric Symptoms

Lawyers are investigating after more than 140 holidaymakers who stayed at the Mukarnas Resort and Spa in Turkey fell ill.

Bromsgrove delivery driver Julie O’Sullivan, 45, her partner Gary Hunt, 46 and her two children Harry, 16, and Hannah, 15, were among those affected.  They travelled to the five-star resort in Antalya in May through tour operator Jet2Holidays Ltd.

Within the first few days of the holiday, the family fell ill.

Following their return to the UK, they instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate.

Expert Opinion

“Julie, Gary and their family are among a large number of holidaymakers who stayed at this resort and who were struck down by illness.

All cases of holiday illness are concerning; however, it’s particularly worrying that such large numbers of people have reported falling ill, the majority of whom have reported similar symptoms.

Gastric symptoms can lead to long-term health problems and their impact should never be downplayed

We now represent more than 140 people who stayed at the Mukarnas Resort and Spa this summer and understandably have many questions about how they fell ill. We’re now investigating their concerns and are determined to obtain the answers they deserve.

If any issues are identified, we urge that lessons are learned to help prevent other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.”
Jennifer Hodgson, International Serious Injury Lawyer

Julie and her family arrived at the Mukarnas Resort and Spa on 29 May for a week-long holiday.

On the evening of 31 May, Julie and Harry began suffering from stomach-ache, vomiting and diarrhoea.  Gary, also a delivery driver, and Hannah fell ill the following day with similar symptoms.

Hannah, who is still at school, fortunately began to feel better within a few days, and the family arrived back in the UK on 6 June.  Meanwhile, Julie, Gary and Harry continued to suffer illness, with Julie contacting their GP on behalf of the family.

Upon return to the UK, Harry, who was in his final year at senior school, had his GCSE exams.  He found these were extremely difficult to sit due to the severity of his ongoing gastric symptoms.

Whilst Gary’s symptoms resolved after returning to the UK, Julie and Harry continue to suffer with ongoing issues, several months after their holiday to the Mukarnas Resort and Spa. They are undergoing various tests with their GP and have been prescribed medication to help ease their symptoms.

Julie said: “We’d been looking forward to going away for such a long time, but just two days in, Harry and I fell ill.  It came on all of a sudden and for the first 24 hours, the vomiting and diarrhoea was constant.  Then Gary and Hannah got it.

“It was awful, as we spent most of our holiday in our room, unable to enjoy any day trips.  The whole holiday was a complete disaster and it’s still upsetting to think about it now.

“When I think back, there were flies in the restaurant area and a lot of the food at the buffet was left uncovered, which allowed flies to get to the food. I also noticed that when children were being sick outside, it was often left there for hours, or just swept into the drain or pool, meaning that guests were sometimes accidentally standing in it. The hand sanitiser in the machine on entry to the restaurant was often also empty.

“The toilets were also left in a disgusting state, and I complained about this several times, but I never saw them cleaned during the day even though people were being sick and having diarrhoea.

“We feel this is totally unacceptable for a five-star resort.  We can’t turn back the clock and change what we went through, but we want some answers and to know that something’s being done to help stop it happening again in the future.”

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling holiday illness cases