Turkish police are investigating the deaths of two British women who died on the same day in the popular Mediterranean resort of
Marmaris in unrelated incidents.
The women, Jane Birth, from Nottingham and Sarah Jones from South Wales, both died yesterday in
hotel rooms not half-a-mile apart, yet the double tragedy appears to be just a sad coincidence.
Mrs Birth, 45, from Gastwood, Nottingham, collapsed and died from a suspected asthma attack just minutes after checking into the Pasa Beach Hotel on the first day of her two-week holiday.
Sarah Jones is believed to have committed suicide at the nearby Palm Garden Hotel the day before she was due to return home.
Pasa Beach front office manager Selami Korkut explained: 'Mr and Mrs Birth arrived with another couple at about 7.30am. They checked into their room and within minutes Mr Birth phoned reception to say his wife was having an asthma attack.
'We immediately called the emergency services who arrived within minutes but it was too late.'
As the doctor and paramedics raced to the room Martin Birth dialled reception again and sobbed: 'It's too late. She's dead. My wife's dead.'
The doctor discovered Mr Birth and his friends giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the lifeless body of Jane and despite the professionals persevering for another hour she never regained consciousness and was declared dead at the scene.
Mr Korkut said: 'Mr Birth was very sad. You don't imagine you're going to come on holiday and your wife will die before you even have a chance to unpack,' he said.
Now Mrs Birth's body has been taken to the Izmir Medical Centre, four hours away, for a post mortem.
Sarah Jones, 32, was discovered dead in her hotel room by a shocked member of staff at the Palm Garden Hotel. She had been staying alone for a week's holiday.
Palm Garden manager Ergun Karadag said: 'We're really saddened by this tragedy. Miss Jones had been here a week. She was quiet but we didn't know anything was wrong until my staff found her dead in her room. She wasn't in bed but we believe she took her own life.'
Miss Jones, who was due to leave Turkey today, was believed to be holidaying alone after splitting with her boyfriend.
Posted: 12 May 2009 15:15