Mystery surrounds holiday death of teenager
3:25pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008
MYSTERY surrounds the sudden death of a Culcheth teenager while on holiday with friends in the Spanish resort of Benalmadena.
Bolton School student Daniel Whelan, aged 18, said he was feeling ill while out on Saturday night and went back to his room early.
His condition deteriorated and he was taken to hospital after his friends dialled the Spanish emergency number 911.
Doctors battled in vain to save him.
Hugh Lamont, a regional spokesman for the Government’s Health Protection Agency, who initially told The Warrington Guardian that Daniel had died from meningococcal disease, issued a further statement this morning.
He said: "Initially it was thought that the most likely cause of death was meningococcal disease.
"However, the latest information from the Spanish health professionals indicates that this is not likely to be the case.
"We understand that there is currently no evidence that the illness was caused by an infection of any sort. We are awaiting the results of further tests.
"There is no reason to believe that any pupil or staff at Bolton School or other contacts of the pupil are at any risk from an infection."
Daniel’s parents, Mike and Catherine, have flown to Spain and his devastated friends — who all attended Bolton School — flew back to the UK last night.
Daniel was a popular student at school. He had just finished his A-Level exams and was celebrating the end of the school term with a group of five school friends on the Costa Del Sol.
He was planning to go to college this autumn after being awarded a place at Loughborough University to study business, economics and finance.
The teenager, from Culcheth, was one of a 50-strong school rugby team which had returned from a tour of South Africa just a week ago.
Daniel was described yesterday as an outstanding student and sportsman.
Caspar Joseph, head of sixth form at Bolton School, said: “We await full information as to the nature of Daniel’s death, but clearly this is a tragic loss.
“Daniel was an outstanding student, academically able and a great sportsman — a stalwart of the basketball and rugby teams. The school sends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Daniel.”
Staff spent yesterday contacting the parents of the rugby team who travelled with Daniel and urged others who had concerns to contact their GP.
Tributes by friends of the teenager have been left on his page on the popular social networking site Facebook.
One read: “I’m finding it hard to believe that you have left us. Your presence was known and felt by everyone, and it was always a happy and comical one. Your presence was also felt on the rugby pitch and, obviously, on the basketball court. This misses out the fact that you were a good friend, caring for people whenever they were down.”