A family’s paradise vacation ended in tragedy when a mother of three drowned to death before being found by her teenage daughter just six weeks before her wedding day during a “memory-making” trip ahead of her fiancé’s cancer treatment.
Bride-to-be Sophie Runkee, 34, and her fiancé Jj Warner, from Hull, had taken their three children, including their 11-week-old son, on a summer holiday to Turkey before Jj began treatment for skin cancer.
The holiday was meant to give the children a chance to create some happy memories together following Jj’s devastating cancer diagnosis, but their ‘once in a lifetime’ trip turned into a nightmare after Sophie’s lifeless body was found on the balcony of their hotel apartment.
The mother, who did not have travel insurance, is believed to have fallen unconscious after a night of partying and choked on her vomit.
Sophie and Jj had been enjoying a last-minute holiday with their children Alicia, 14, Tommy, nine, and baby Luca, but on July 11 Sophie and Alicia stepped out for some mother-daughter time, spending the night dancing together at local bars while Ji stayed behind with the kids.
Sophie Runkee, a 34-year-old mother of three from Hull, was found dead on a balcony in Turkey by her 14-year-old daughter after a night of “excessive drinking”.
Sophie is believed to have fallen unconscious and choked to death on her vomit before her fiancé attempted CPR.
Jj said: ‘We were having a blast on holiday in Turkey, we wanted the kids to remember this summer for the right reasons despite everything that’s going on.
‘Sophie went out on Thursday night. She was sad about my diagnosis, so I encouraged her to go out with Alicia to let off some steam while I looked after the kids. She just wanted to forget about everything and have a nice night with her daughter.’
He revealed that his future wife had drunk “an excessive amount” before returning to the apartment, collapsing on the balcony and choking on her vomit.
Tragically, it was Sophie’s teenage daughter, Alicia, who first stumbled upon her mother’s lifeless body on the balcony.
In a desperate attempt to save Sophie’s life, Jj ran over, cleared her airway and began CPR.
Miraculously he managed to bring her back, but any hope was short-lived as her pulse was weak and she had to be rushed to hospital.
Sadly, doctors were unable to do anything more to save Sophie’s life and she died just 24 hours later.
Jj continued: “It’s hard to put into words what has happened, we’re all still in shock. Sophie wasn’t just my future wife, she was my best friend.
Sophie’s fiancé Jj Warner said the holiday was meant to be a “trip down memory lane” after she was diagnosed with skin cancer and will soon undergo treatment.
“We were together 24 hours a day, never apart. I don’t know what I would do without her,” he said, calling her his “soulmate” and “a phenomenal mother.”
“We’ve both suffered through pretty abusive lives, so we understood each other on a level that no one else can,” she added.
Sophie and Jj were due to marry in Scotland in just six weeks after bringing forward the wedding following his skin cancer diagnosis.
Now, he faces the task of raising his family alone while also battling cancer.
Jj said: ‘My only concern is to look after those children. If I die, they will have no one. They have lost their mother, their world, while on holiday in a strange country and in three weeks I will start cancer treatment. They don’t deserve any of this.
Sophie had no travel insurance and Jj is now faced with unexpected hospital bills as well as the cost of transporting Sophie’s body to her home in Hull, where she will be laid to rest.
Sophie’s best friend Jenny Phillips has set up a GoFundMe page to try and support Jj and the children.
Paying a heartbreaking tribute to Sophie, Jj said: ‘My dear angel, the love of my life, nothing will ever be the same.
‘You will be forever in our hearts, we will miss you forever, I will rest with you when it is my time and we will be together again.
‘Until then, I promise to take care of our babies for the rest of my life and try to do as good a job as you did.
“You will always be her mother, no one will ever be able to take your place.”
