British tourist is seriously ill and her husband dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a family property in Mallorca
- A Scottish tourist was found unconscious on the floor of a house in Cala Mesquida
- Her partner was found dead, killed from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning
A British tourist is in intensive care at a Mallorca hospital after a suspected carbon monoxide leak that claimed the life of her husband.
The 39-year-old holidaymaker was rushed to Manacor hospital on Saturday, found unconscious next to her lifeless partner, 40, in a house in Cala Mesquida.
The pair, who have not yet been officially named, had flown from their home in Edinburgh to spend time at a family property.
A family member allegedly called emergency services after he was unable to raise them.
An investigation into the tragedy was underway as of Monday, though initial local reports suggested the cause was a malfunctioning gas refrigerator.
Hospital of Manacor on the island of Mallorca, photographed in September 2021. The tourist was taken to hospital on Saturday after being found unconscious in a house in Cala Mesquida
Well-placed sources said they were investigating the possibility that deadly carbon monoxide gas had been seeping out all night while the couple slept in the master bedroom.
The pair have not been officially named, but the woman at the center of the drama is believed to be a former Edinburgh bank employee.
Her husband, who is described locally as being from the UK, was said to have been born in Spain and acquired British nationality through marriage.
After spending time in London, he moved to Edinburgh a few years ago to work in the financial services industry.
His wife would not know that her partner died because of the seriousness of her condition.
A local hospital source confirmed on Monday that she was “seriously” in intensive care.
The latest tragedy came less than five months after a similar tragedy claimed the lives of a British couple in their expat home in Mallorca.
Michael Rowan, 62, and his partner, 56, Sharon Price, were found lifeless on December 19 last year in their country house near the picturesque town of Selva, about an hour’s drive from Cala Mesquida, after their worried son from the United Kingdom Kingdom someone to go around and check on them.
A subsequent autopsy confirmed that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the farmhouse they had moved to the previous year.
Their bodies lay undiscovered for two days.
Local reports at the time linked the intoxication to a wood-burning stove leak through loose piping, which allowed toxic fumes to enter the room where it was installed.
The engine of a portable generator is said to have been kept inside the property, despite recommendations to keep these types of devices out, and is also believed to have produced the odorless and colorless gas responsible for the couple’s deaths.
Cala Mesquida, a holiday destination known for its clear skies, blue waters and sandy beaches
The nearest town to Cala Mesquida, famous for its beautiful sandy beach and popular with Germans and Brits, is Capdepera, about five miles away.
The house where the latest gas leak tragedy occurred is described as a rural property.
Unconfirmed local reports say it belongs to the dead man’s father.