Portsmouth mum’s death on dream trip to Turkey sparks shock, grief and questions
A forensic report has revealed the cause of death for Beth Martin, a 28-year-old British mum who died suddenly while on a family holiday in Turkey. Her family now claims that her heart was removed without consent, adding a shocking twist to an already tragic story that has gripped the UK.
Beth had travelled to Turkey on April 27 with her husband, Luke Martin, and their two children, aged eight and five. Within 24 hours of arriving, what should have been a joyful family break turned into a nightmare. Beth began behaving erratically and was rushed to a local hospital. Despite being moved to intensive care, she tragically passed away on April 28.
According to a report from Turkey’s Forensic Medicine Institution, Beth’s death was caused by food poisoning and related complications. The official document, cited by Turkish media outlet Sozcu, stated there were “no signs of traumatic injury.” The report added that her heart had undergone a thorough examination, and tissue samples were now being returned to UK authorities.
Yet Beth’s family says they were kept in the dark about her condition—and the fate of her heart. Luke Martin has claimed that doctors in Turkey expressed concerns about Beth’s heart before her death, but no one informed him or the family. He was initially barred from seeing his wife and later interrogated by Turkish police under suspicion of poisoning, before being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Luke took to social media to share the emotional toll of the experience:
“To top it off, I had to break the news to my babies that their mum isn’t coming home. It broke me. We set out on a holiday as a family of four. Only three of us made it back. We lost the biggest piece of the puzzle that was our family.”
A GoFundMe page created by relatives alleges that the family was left uninformed about how critical Beth’s condition was. They also claim that they had to carry her body through the hospital in a bag themselves and faced a two-week delay in repatriating her remains. Luke ultimately paid thousands of pounds to fly her body back to the UK alongside him and the children.
What came next shocked them even further. A UK post-mortem reportedly confirmed that Beth’s heart had been removed in Turkey—without family consent. The family is now seeking answers, not only about her sudden death but also about the handling of her body after she passed.
“This has been the worst and most traumatic week of my entire life,” said Luke. “The pain of losing Beth is something words can’t express. She was everything to us.”
The case has sparked widespread concern among British holidaymakers and has raised questions about international medical protocol, patient rights, and consent in post-mortem procedures abroad. While the forensic findings point to food poisoning as the cause, the circumstances around her treatment and the alleged removal of her heart continue to draw scrutiny.
The British Foreign Office has confirmed it is offering consular support to the family. Meanwhile, calls for better transparency and protection for UK citizens receiving emergency medical care overseas are growing louder.