The woman who died on an EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Malaga with a suspected chest infection picked up on a Caribbean cruise has been named as grandmother-of-two Ann Rudkin.
The airline was accused of negligence yesterday as it emerged the 63-year-old had been allowed to board a plane on Tuesday despite her deteriorating health.
Today she was identified as an expat English teacher from Weymouth, Dorset.
Son Scott posted a tribute picture of her with grandsons Joshua and Cameron on social media.
EasyJet has been accused of negligence after 63-year-old Ann Rudkin died on a flight from Gatwick to Malaga after suffering from a ‘severe chest infection’ on Monday
Friend Rita Brennan said: ‘Ann so loved her grandsons. She’ll be watching over them.’
English teacher Ann, who lived in the Costa del Sol holiday resort of Fuengirola, was pronounced dead after her packed Tuesday afternoon Easyjet plane from Gatwick landed at Malaga Airport on Tuesday evening.
Easyjet passenger Jacob Rodgers said he had been concerned about the victim before she died having met her in the airport prior to flying.
He told MailOnline she had a severe chest infection she had picked up on a boat in the Caribbean where she had been on a cruise.
‘She was very wheezy and made a lot of noise from her chest. Due to her condition I was thinking of telling her not to fly myself but who am I to say that.
Jacob Rodgers, 28, and his girlfriend Jessica (together) were left ‘traumatised’ when Ann’s arm went limp and they ‘couldn’t feel her pulse’. They didn’t want to shout she was dead in case it scared children on the flight
‘We don’t know if the death was avoidable or not but the lack of care for the lady from both Gatwick and Easyjet was worrying to say the least.’
Passengers on the plane, which left Gatwick around 5pm on Tuesday, said she had seemed to be alive until the aircraft landed in Malaga.
A court in Malaga has been tasked with a routine investigation into Ann’s death.
Ann was well-known in Fuengirola where she lived.
Costa del Sol-based English-language newspaper Euro Weekly News, where the former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council worker used to be an accounts manager, said: ‘We would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ann Rudkin, who has passed away suddenly.
‘Ann, whose warm character and lively personality made her an extremely popular member of the Euro Weekly News family, worked with us in our previous offices in Arroyo de la Miel.
‘In recent years Ann carved out a career teaching English as a foreign language, and was well known around Fuengirola amongst the expat community.’
Her funeral is due to be held on Monday afternoon.
Ann had joked while on holiday in the Caribbean about feeling like she was in Spain.
She posted on Facebook from a beach in Martinique: ‘Wifi and they take euros. Just like being in Spain.’
Four days earlier she wrote from Jacks Bar on the island of Bequia: ‘Lovely beach and bar but a nightmare trek to get to it so water taxi back to where we pick the tender up.
‘Anyway, having a wonderful time and ship is superb. Back to Barbados tomorrow and more Caribbean islands next week.’
An EasyJet spokesperson said: ‘EasyJet can confirm a passenger was taken ill onboard flight EZY8609 from London Gatwick to Malaga on 4 March 2019 after landing in Malaga.
News of her death emerged after passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Barbados were quarantined for four hours at Gatwick this morning after a sickness outbreak onboard (pictured qeueing in the London airport this morning)
A large emergency services presence waited on the runway at Gatwick on the Virgin plane being evacuated before screening everyone on board. Three people were taken to hospital
‘The cabin crew assisted by doctors onboard provided first aid and on arrival emergency services attended to provide medical care however the passenger sadly passed away.
‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the passenger and we have offered support and assistance at this difficult time.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.
‘The cabin crew did a seatbelt check which is noted in the witness report by Jacob Henry Rodgers which we have read. It says the passenger was sleeping at this time.
‘An onboard doctor performed CPR alongside the crew whilst the aircraft was taxi-ing to its stand.
‘The aircraft was met by paramedics and CPR continued but unfortunately the passenger sadly passed away.
‘Our ground staff and crew will not allow any passenger to travel should they believe they are unwell and unfit to travel.’
The airline added the dead woman presented no symptoms which ‘would warrant concern or any action prior to prevent them from travelling at that time.’