Breast cancer patient, 68, told family ‘nothing is going to stop me from going on holiday’ before she contracted sepsis and died in luxury cruise cabin, inquest hears

A breast cancer The patient told her family ‘nothing will stop me from going on holiday’ before she was signed sepsis and died in a luxury cruise cabin, an inquest heard.

Lucille Thorne, 68, injured her knee after slipping on the marble floor at a resort in the Maldives – where she had embarked on her dream holiday – before going on a cruise.

However, Mrs Thorne, from Hayling Island in Hampshire, unknowingly contracted sepsis and died four days after her stay on the Azamara Quest Ship.

Childhood friend Ann Thomas, who was on holiday with her, today said Mrs Thorne was ‘brave’ and determined not to complain about the pain she was feeling.

During today’s inquest at Portsmouth Coroners Court, heard on November 18, 2022, Ms Thorne flew from Gatwick Airport in West Sussex to Male in the Maldives.

Mrs Thomas says: ‘She really wanted to go on holiday and she had done all the research.’

A relative said when she expressed her concerns about leaving because of her cancer, Mrs Thorne said: ‘Nothing is going to stop me from going on holiday’.

Lucille Thorne (pictured), 68, injured her knee after slipping on the marble floor at a Maldives resort before going on a cruise

On November 20 – on the two’s first full day at the unnamed resort in the Maldives – Ms Thorne fell.

“We were sunbathing and we went inside to make some coffee and while we were doing that Lucy slipped on the floor,” Mrs Thomas said.

‘Her feet were sticking out from under her, it was her right side that she had fallen on.

“She didn’t want me to call the front desk to get the doctor, but because of her situation I thought it was best to do so.”

Ms Thomas said she called reception to get help for her ‘shocked’ friend and a nurse and doctor attended before prescribing her antibiotics.

‘[Her knee] looked very red and raw,” Ms. Thomas said.

“It just didn’t look good, he started getting blisters all the way down to the ankle.”

Mrs Thomas said the blisters were ‘large’ and ‘painful’.

The nurse then popped the blisters and prescribed the 68-year-old antiseptic cream to rub on her knee.

Ms Thomas said her friend felt ‘uncomfortable’ but was not the type to complain or talk about pain.

The pair flew to Dubai days later and stayed in a hotel overnight before boarding the Azamara Quest Ship.

Mrs Thomas said: ‘She had been on an Azamara cruise before so – from what I understand – she liked that, so I think the cruise was probably something she was looking forward to.

‘The Maldives were a great base for us.’

As they were sailing, Mrs. Thorne began to walk more slowly.

Mrs Thomas, also from Hayling Island, said: ‘Every day we were away I worried about her.

‘I knew what I was doing, but I was worried.

‘First it had to do with the knee with the blisters and then actually how much she slowed down when we got to the ship.

‘She never complained. When I say she was brave… I said, ‘Are you okay?’, and she said, ‘Yes, yes, I’m fine.’

‘She didn’t complain about the pain.

‘She never complained about anything to do with her health. [She was] very stoic, a courageous lady.’

After a few days of reading, listening to music and lying on the cruise deck, Ms. Thomas woke up at 4 a.m. on December 3 to find her friend unresponsive.

Henry Charles – assistant coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton – said Mrs Thorne’s cause of death was ‘accidental’ and was caused by the fall which caused sepsis

“I got up to go to the bathroom and I touched her and she was cold and I immediately went to the phone and called 911.”

After emergency services attended, Mrs Thorne was pronounced dead at around 4.30am.

Henry Charles – assistant coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton – said Mrs Thorne’s cause of death was ‘accidental’ and was caused by the fall which caused sepsis.

He told the inquest, which was attended by her family and friends, that Mrs Thorne was ‘not a weak’ lady but was suffering from ill health.

Mr Charles said she was ‘determined’ to go out and enjoy the ‘amazing’ holiday with her friend.

Describing the two women boarding the ship, he said while their “knees were still crying” they were able to “spend four relaxing days outside on the sundeck.”

‘On December 3, about half past four, Ann got up and discovered that Lucy had died.

“She called 911 in response. The medical team arrived and did what they could, but it was unsuccessful.”

Mr Charles said there was a ‘clear level of deterioration’ after Ms Thorne fell on November 29.

“In light of my findings, my conclusion is one of accidental death.”

He described her as a “pretty amazing person,” which was echoed by her family and friends in the room.