A mother is urging travellers to take altitude sickness seriously when visiting remote destinations after her daughter died during a solo trip to Bolivia.
Jennifer Ashton, 37, was a fit and healthy single mother who balanced a demanding corporate career with teaching reformer Pilates classes. She had also always been passionate about travel.
Before turning 40, she had planned to visit a list of dream destinations, including Machu Picchu and Bolivia’s spectacular Salar de Uyuni salt flats.
After saving enough annual leave, Jennifer booked a two-week journey through South America. She was expected to return to her London home shortly before her 11-year-old son began secondary school.
Her trip began with three days in Cartagena, Colombia, before she continued on to Peru.
On August 26, she arrived in La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, then travelled directly to Uyuni, the small town that serves as a gateway to the world’s largest salt flat.
Tragically, she never got the chance to leave her hotel room.
“The call came as a real shock,” her mother, Bella King, recalled.
Jennifer tragically passed away while travelling alone in South America
“Just days earlier, she had sent me photos from Machu Picchu, where she was smiling. She looked healthy and well, just like her normal self.”
Bella was contacted by medics who told her they had found Jennifer unconscious in her hotel room.
After being revived, Jennifer appeared delirious and repeatedly drifted in and out of consciousness.
Bella urged doctors to do everything possible to save her daughter. Jennifer was then placed in an ambulance for an eight-hour transfer to a hospital at a lower altitude.
By then, she was struggling to breathe and had fluid building up in her lungs.
Two doctors accompanied Jennifer in the ambulance during the long journey from Uyuni back towards La Paz.
However, the delay in reaching specialist medical care proved fatal. Jennifer died on the way to hospital on August 27, 2026.
Her cause of death was identified as high-altitude pulmonary oedema, or HAPE, a severe and potentially fatal form of altitude sickness.
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Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is regarded as one of South America’s most remarkable and extreme landscapes
HAPE typically develops within two to four days of a rapid ascent to high altitude. The condition occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs, making it increasingly difficult for the body to absorb enough oxygen.
High altitude is generally considered to begin at around 2,500 metres above sea level. At those elevations, reduced oxygen levels can cause the 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.’