Mystery of the trip to Panama that ended in tragedy for a couple from Kefalonia - How the notary collapsed

It was a trip like most that a well-known lawyer from Kefalonia and his retired notary wife had planned and carried out on such days in recent years. The two of them used to enjoy their holidays in exotic places far from the island during the holidays. Last year they had gone to Bali, while this year they had preferred to travel with a group of about 25 people to Costa Rica and Panama. However, this trip turned into a nightmare in a few twenty-four hours, leaving behind a sudden death, a man fighting for his life and a series of questions that are still seeking answers. The notary lost her life in Panama, while her husband is hospitalized in a Paris hospital, after his health deteriorated dramatically upon his return to Europe.

According to information from the family, everything was going smoothly until they arrived from Costa Rica to Panama. However, during their stay on a Caribbean island, in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, the woman began to feel very unwell, with the main symptom being a persistent headache. The same information states that there was also a person in the group of travelers who appeared to be sick, since he was wearing a mask, and it is likely that the notary caught the flu from there. When the group arrived in Panama City on the evening of December 30, her condition worsened, as she began to show symptoms that initially did not cause much concern. Cough, weakness and fever were suggestive of influenza, which was confirmed by a local hospital in Panama, where she was diagnosed with influenza A and given medication. At the same time, according to information, she also presented with a bacterial infection and, despite the efforts of the medical staff, her health deteriorated rapidly, as she presented with serious complications, resulting in her death on the morning of January 2, 2026 due to multiple organ failure, while, according to tests, it was determined that she had also been infected with influenza type A.

The lawyer is fighting for his life in Paris, while his wife's body remains in Panama.

And while her husband was preparing for all the procedures for the repatriation of the body, he himself began to show symptoms of a serious infection. Information from the family's environment told iefimerida that he called a personal friend of his, a retired doctor in Kefalonia, who advised him to return to Greece immediately, while his wife's body would remain temporarily in Panama for the necessary procedures and examinations. During the flight, however, his health condition deteriorated rapidly. He needed oxygen during the flight and during the flight's stop in Paris, the well-known lawyer was rushed to a hospital and admitted to an intensive care unit. According to the latest information, he is hospitalized with his daughter, her fiancé and a nephew by his side, while the issue of the repatriation of his wife's body still remains unknown.

The couple's "black" Christmas
Many from the couple's environment believe that the chain of events, both the illness and the fatal outcome with the death of the notary, may be linked exclusively to the spread of infection within the travel group itself and not by any external factor.

The big question remains how an otherwise healthy person like the notary could end up in such a short period of time from influenza A and a simultaneous bacterial infection. Doctors point out that in rare cases the combination of viral and microbial infection can prove fatal, especially if there are complications or a delay in appropriate treatment. However, until there are official forensic and medical findings, the case of the notary from Kefalonia remains a dark puzzle.
For the family, friends and society of Kefalonia, the only thing certain is that a trip that was repeated every Christmas as a tradition of joy and rest, this time left behind pain, unanswered "why" and an agonizing wait for the full truth.