Death of retired West Yorkshire Police officer who suffered brain damage after heart attack in Tenerife

Dot Annable was with her husband Bill, 75, when he died at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, on Monday March 8.

"I held his hand and kissed him and told him I loved him and at 10.15pm he passed away," said Mrs Annable

"He fought so hard to stay alive for nearly four months. He was my soulmate, he was very kind.

"He loved life and he loved everyone - he always had a smile on his face."

Wife of retired West Yorkshire police officer critically ill after heart attack in Tenerife faces €20,000 bill as insurance refuse claim

A funeral cortege will leave Mr Annable's home in Darrington near Pontefract at 9.40am on Thursday March 25 ahead of a Covid restricted service at 10am Pontefract Crematorium.

Mr and Mrs Annable were two weeks into a four-week holiday in Playa De Las Américas when he suffered a heart attack before falling and striking his head on the pavement last November 14.

His travel insurance company, Avanti, declined to cover the cost of his repatriation to the UK or the majority of his medical bills, which amounted to more than £20,000.

Avanti said Mr Annable was made aware when buying the policy that the company couldn’t cover him for heart-related conditions due to surgery he was waiting for on an artery in his leg.

Mr Annable’s friend, Steve Spencer of Pontefract, launched a crowdfunding appeal to pay for a private air ambulance and the grandfather of two was flown back to the UK on January 27.

The appeal raised more than £34,000.

Mrs Annable said the air ambulance cost £24,000 and £10,000 is due to go towards the outstanding medical bill of around £20,000.

Retired police officer who suffered heart attack on Tenerife holiday is flown home after crowdfunding appeal raises £34,000

Mrs Annable said anyone wishing to make a donation in lieu of flowers in her husband's memory is asked to contribute to help pay outstanding medical bills via gofundme

Mr Annable, a retired West Yorkshire Police officer who served with the force for 32 years, had regained consciousness and could move his eyes and squeeze his wife's hand.

Mrs Annable, 64, said when her husband applied for travel insurance with Avanti, he declared he suffered from hypertension, for which he was taking medication.

She also said Avanti were made aware that he had a successful operation two years ago to unblock an artery in his right leg and that he was waiting to undergo the same procedure in his left leg.