British Couple Dies from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After Pesticide Fumigation in Adjacent Hotel Room in Egypt, Coroner Rules

Pesticide used in Egyptian resort mixed with chemical dichloromethane, leading to carbon monoxide exposure and eventual death of British vacationers in 2018; five-year-long investigation concludes lack of appropriate security measures and emergency medical response.

• John Cooper, 69, and his wife, Susan, 63, from Burnley, Lancashire, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egypt in August 2018.
• The room adjacent to the Coopers', which shared a locked adjoining door with their room, was sprayed with a pesticide, Lambda, diluted with a chemical called dichloromethane to tackle a bed bug infestation, leading to toxic carbon monoxide creation.
• Hours after the adjacent room was sprayed and sealed with masking tape around the door, the British couple returned to their room for the night and later fell seriously ill due to inhalation of the toxic fumes that had seeped under the door.
• The next day, their daughter found both parents seriously ill; John was declared dead in their room, and Susan died hours later in the hospital after a four-hour delay before an ambulance was called, which the coroner described as 'utterly insufficient' emergency medical response.
• The coroner’s inquest, five years after their tragic deaths, ruled the cause as carbon monoxide poisoning due to the pesticide-fumigation procedure which lacked appropriate security measures, leading to an unnecessary exposure of the toxic vapor for the British couple.

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