The family of a grandmother who died from Legionnaires’ disease after bathing in hot tub for her 70th birthday have said her ‘devastating and unexpected’ death was ‘entirely preventable’.

Paulette Crookes had been celebrating on a trip with 10 relatives in a rental property at Tapnell Farm on the Isle of Wight on February 7, 2020.

She tested positive for Legionella less than a month later, a dangerous water-borne bacteria that can cause the severe lung infection Legionnaires’ disease.

Mrs Crookes sadly died of pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila shortly afterwards. 

Now, after nearly six years after her death and a detailed inquest, the family has accused council environmental bosses of failing to follow ‘proper health and safety procedures’.

Mrs Crookes had spent ‘a lot of time in the hot tub’ on the first evening they were there, her daughter Nicola Vaughan, 51, said.

But the next day Mrs Vaughan noticed that, ‘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.’

This got progressively worse and finally Mrs Crookes had to leave early because she felt ill.

Several other family members also felt ill, her grandchildren developing rashes, sickness and diarrhoea which the family said doctors later told them was directly caused by ‘a poorly maintained hot tub’.

Mrs Crookes was then rushed to St Mary’s Hospital with pneumonia where she tested positive for Legionella.

An inquest has now concluded that she died from pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, which she had caught from the hot tub.

Tapnell Farm housekeeping manager later Joanna Lloyd told the hearing she had tested the hot tub water daily during the family’s stay and said she ‘did not recall seeing any problems’.

However, the family said they never saw anyone check the water in the tub during their stay.

Her family said they are devastated and determined to speak out so that her ‘entirely preventable’ death was not in vain.

Despite this, her loved ones say they now have clarity after a jury concluded that she contracted Legionella from the hot tub. 

The family said they hoped speaking publicly would help prevent similar tragedies in the future, highlighting the risks associated with poorly managed hot tubs. 

As a lasting message, her family said: ‘We hope that her passing serves as a stark reminder of the serious dangers associated with hot tubs when health and safety protocols are not given the importance they require.’

‘If sharing this message helps save even one life, then her loss will not have been in vain.’

The family thanked Coroner Caroline Sumeray and the jury for their ‘thorough investigation,’ but voiced concerns over the handling of the case by the Isle of Wight Council’s Environmental Health department.

They said: ‘We remain deeply concerned about the IW Council’s Environmental Health investigation.

‘Our mother’s death was entirely preventable and had proper health and safety procedures been followed, she would still be here with us today, looking forward to Christmas with her family.’

 Mrs Crookes had been in good health and excited to celebrate her birthday, her daughters told the court, even using the zipwire on the farm – something that was ‘typical of mum’.

They added that their mother was ‘the heart of our family and lived for her children and grandchildren, who were her world’, and that her lost was ‘devastating and unexpected’.