> At a Glance
> – Elizabeth Diamond lost husband Chris to Weil’s disease after he swam in a Jamaican waterfall on their 2016 honeymoon
> – Doctors later linked the murky water to leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that shut down his kidneys and liver
> – 50 days after their wedding, Chris was taken off life support
> – Why it matters: One swim turned a dream honeymoon into a cautionary tale about hidden health risks abroad
Elizabeth Diamond’s honeymoon ended in heartbreak when her husband Chris died from a rare water-borne illness just weeks after their 2016 wedding.
A Dream Trip Turns Tragic
The couple married in November and flew to Jamaica for a week of horseback rides and beach walks. On the final day they stopped at a waterfall Elizabeth remembers as brown and murky, not the turquoise paradise pictured in brochures.
Chris dove in anyway. The next morning he had nausea and diarrhea the pair chalked up to a stomach bug. When symptoms lingered for a week, Elizabeth grew alarmed.
> Elizabeth told The Sun:
> “This was a man who never missed work.”
Two weeks after the trip Chris woke up jaundiced. Emergency tests showed kidney and liver failure; doctors had no explanation until Elizabeth found Jamaican health alerts about leptospirosis.
Race Against a Mystery Illness
Leptospirosis bacteria live in water tainted by animal urine. Chris had contracted Weil’s disease, its most severe form.
- Hospital staff started doxycycline immediately
- He was intubated the next day
- An induced coma followed
- After brain-death confirmation, life support ended on day 50 of their marriage
> Elizabeth recalled:
> “I climbed into the bed, curled up into Chris’ arms and whispered, ‘I love you’. Then his life support was turned off, and he was gone.”
Finding Light After Loss
Grief counseling and family support carried her through the first years. In 2022 she joined a dating site on a whim, met Kim, and remarried in June 2024.
She believes Chris would want her happy and now speaks out to reassure other widows that love can bloom again.
Key Takeaways
- Leptospirosis can lurk in tropical freshwater; travelers should cover cuts and avoid murky pools
- Early symptoms mimic food poisoning, but yellowing skin signals organ failure
- Elizabeth remarried eight years after loss, proving healing is possible**
