Couple And Children Struck Down with Illness During Birthday Trip

A Swansea family has instructed lawyers to investigate after they were struck down with illness while staying at the Jaz Aquaviva Hotel in Egypt.

Hayley and Steven Price, from Morriston, travelled to the five-star resort in Hurghada in May last year with their two children.  Their holiday was booked through tour operator TUI UK Ltd to celebrate Steven’s birthday on 11 June.

All four fell ill with gastric symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy.  Both Hayley and Steven saw a GP on their return to the UK.

They have now instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their illnesses.  The firm previously successfully concluded claims for 125 people who stayed at the same hotel in 2017, with a number of those testing positive for Salmonella.

Expert Opinion

“Hayley, Steven and their children had been looking forward to their holiday and to hear the symptoms they’ve suffered is concerning, particularly at a five-star resort.

“Gastric illness should never be downplayed as in some cases it can lead to long-term health problems.

“Hayley and Steven have many questions regarding how they and their children became ill and we’re now looking into these. If, during the course of our investigations, any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to help prevent future holidaymakers from falling ill.” Jatinder Paul, International Serious Injury Lawyer

The family holidayed at Jaz Aquaviva between 30 May and 13 June, 2022.

Civil engineer Steven, 47, fell ill on 1 June with diarrhoea, cramping and abdominal pain.  The following day, self-employed driving instructor Hayley, 44, became unwell with similar symptoms as well as vomiting.

The couple’s 10-year-old son Lestyn and seven-year-old daughter Catrin also fell ill later that day.

Steven visited a pharmacy in Egypt for medication, and he and Hayler went to see a GP on their return home.  Hayley was subsequently diagnosed with bacterial infection Aeromonas hydrophila and was prescribed antibiotics.

Both continue to suffer ongoing symptoms.

Hayley said: “We’d all been really excited about going on holiday, but within a few days we were all really unwell. The rest of the trip was written off as we couldn’t do anything and Steven wasn’t able to celebrate his birthday.

“Since coming home, both Steven and I still aren’t fully better.  Our exercise routines are affected as well as we both enjoy running but can’t do it as much as we used to.

“It was a huge shock when I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection as it’s not something you expect to come back from holiday with. I ended up having to miss quite a bit of work too.

“When I think back there were a lot of other people complaining of illness.  I remember that a lot of the barbecued food seemed undercooked, with blood coming out of the chicken drumsticks at one point.  The food also looked like it had been sitting out a while.

“I know there’s nothing we can do to change what we’ve been through, but we deserve some answers as to how this happened as our holiday was completely ruined.”

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