American actor helps Plymouth couple forced to leave LA hotel where body was found

The American actor Robert Conrad, who is best known for the 1960s television series The Wild Wild West, came to the rescue of a Plymouth couple who were forced to leave their LA hotel after the body of a Canadian tourist was found in a cistern.

BBC News reports that Michael and Sabina Baugh from Plymouth spent eight days at the Hotel Cecil before Elisa Lam's body was found in one of the hotel's four large water tanks.

The couple were just over halfway through their two-week holiday when they realised something was wrong. Emergency services arrived and all guests had to check out as the water was turned off. The couple had to stay in the lobby for 13 hours until they could find alternative accommodation through their travel agent Thomas Cook.

In the meantime, they were interviewed by numerous media organisations, which is how Mr Conrad heard of their plight.

Mrs Baugh told BBC News: "He drove to KFI Radio to give us $500 (£330). Another anonymous woman paid for them to stay at Hollywood's Hilton hotel for their last three nights, which Mrs Baugh said was an "amazing experience."

Elisa Lam, from Vancouver, disappeared on February 1. She was found dead in the tank by a maintenance worker on February 21, after guests had complained of low water pressure.

Guests, including the Baughs, said they had bathed in and drunk water from the tank. Mrs Baugh said: "The water wasn't clean. It was coming out brown and very cloudy. We had to leave it on for a few minutes, but it would clear up."

She told CNN: "The water did have a funny taste. We never thought anything of it. We thought it was just the way it was here."

The Daily Mail reports that Mr Baugh added: "The moment we found out, we felt a bit sick to the stomach, quite literally, especially having drunk the water, we're not well mentally."

Thomas Cook told BBC News that it was taking the matter very seriously and was talking to the couple about compensation.

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