A mother is warning people to stay vigilant when travelling to remote destinations, after her daughter died from altitude sickness on a solo trip to Bolivia.
Jennifer Ashton, 37, a fit and healthy single mother who taught reformer Pilates classes alongside a busy corporate career, had always loved travelling.
She had drawn up a bucket list of places she wanted to visit before her 40th birthday, with Machu Picchu and Bolivia’s salt flats among her dream destinations.
After saving up her annual leave, she booked a two week trip to South America, and was due to return home to London shortly before her 11-year-old son’s first day at secondary school.
Her journey began in Cartagena, Colombia, where she spent three days exploring before travelling to Peru.
On 26 August she landed in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, and headed straight for Uyuni, a small town that serves as the gateway to the world’s largest salt flat.
But heartbreakingly, she never made it out of her hotel room.
‘The call came as a real shock,’ her mother, Bella King, recalls.
Jennifer tragically passed away on a solo travel trip in South America
‘Just days before she had sent me photos from Machu Picchu, where she was full of smiles. She looked healthy and well, and just like her normal self.’
Bella received a phone call from medics saying they had found her daughter unconscious in her hotel room.
When they revived her, Jennifer appeared delirious and was dipping in and out of consciousness.
Bella told the doctors to do whatever was necessary to save her daughter – which involved an eight hour ambulance transfer to a hospital at a lower altitude.
At this point Jennifer was already struggling to breathe and there was fluid in her lungs.
Two doctors accompanied her in the ambulance on the long journey from Uyuni back towards La Paz.
But the delay in reaching specialist care proved fatal, and Jennifer died en route to hospital on August 27, 2026.
The cause of death was identified as High-Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE), a severe and potentially life-threatening form of altitude sickness.
Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is considered one of the most extreme and remarkable vistas in South America
The condition typically develops within two to four days of a rapid ascent to high altitude and occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs, making it increasingly difficult for the body to get enough oxygen.
At high altitude, generally considered around 2,500m above sea level, lower oxygen levels can cause blood vessels in the lungs to narrow.
In some people, this raises pressure inside the lungs so much that fluid begins leaking into the air sacs, severely affecting breathing and oxygen levels.
Symptoms typically develop within a few days of arriving at high altitude and can include shortness of breath, persistent cough, extreme fatigue, chest tightness, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate and blue-tinged lips due to a lack of oxygen.
If left untreated, HAPE can rapidly progress and may be fatal.
Emergency treatment involves descending to a lower altitude as quickly as possible and providing oxygen. Some patients may also require medication to reduce pressure in the lungs.
Experts say the best way to prevent altitude sickness is to ascend gradually, giving the body time to acclimatise.
For example, this can mean spending a few days in La Paz – which sits at around 3,650m above seal level – before travelling onwards to higher-altitude destinations, like the salt flats.
Machu Picchu is located 2,430m above sea level
Now Bella hopes to raise awareness of the condition and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to establish The Jennifer Ashton HAPE Foundation.
She hopes the charity will fund a dedicated altitude sickness awareness website, produce educational resources for travellers and help remote hospitals access equipment and support to treat patients more effectively.
‘We cannot change what happened to Jennifer,’ Bella said.
‘But if her story can help other people recognise the warning sings and seek urgent medical help sooner, then something positive can come from an unimaginable loss.
‘People who want to see the world are not made aware of the health risks and that is not good enough.
‘Right now, young people will be exploring the salt flats, or be planning to go, and raising awareness for this condition could be the difference between life and death.’
