Dominican Republic - American tourists found dead in resorts, same cause of death, 2018/2019

[DD8]

This is heartbreaking.

So awful

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schumer asks ATF to join investigation into deaths in the Dominican Republic

Sen. Chuck Schumer said that the US government should step up efforts to investigate the deaths of at least eight Americans in the Dominican Republic this year. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives should lend support to the FBI and local law enforcement, noting the agency has offices in the Caribbean and the technical and forensic expertise to aid the investigation.

Schumer: ATF Should Probe Dominican Republic Deaths

Francisco Javier García, the tourism minister in the Dominican Republic, said that the deaths were not part of any mysterious series of fatalities but a statistically normal phenomenon lumped together by the US media. He said autopsies show the tourists died of natural causes. Five of the autopsies were complete as of last week, while three were undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths.

 

[Inthedetails]

<modsnipped quoted post>
Interesting point about heart attacks among vacations in retirement years on their trips of a lifetime. I don't get the impression that is the same as DR deaths - it's not the trip of a lifetime for many people but an affordable trip, and while some victims were older, not all have been.

The ones I recall off the top of my head are the 53 year old woman whose son said she was in good health, and the newlywed couple who both died of heart attacks while in DR. I think both the bride and groom were in their 40s or perhaps 50s, IRRC.

Anyone have a comprehensive list?

jmo

 

[dotr]

Mysterious Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths: The Victims So Far
Everything in this Slideshow

NATHANIEL EDWARD HOLMES, 63, and CYNTHIA ANN DAY, 49
On May 30, 2019, the couple was found dead in their hotel room at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana resort. According to the autopsy report, the couple suffered respiratory failure and fluid accumulation in their lungs, with Day also suffering a cerebral edema, though the cause of the fatal episodes was not clear and toxicology results are still pending.

YVETTE MONIQUE SPORT, 51
The Pennsylvania woman had just arrived at the Bahia Príncipe resort in Punta Cana when she died in June 2018. Sport, a bride-to-be traveling with her fiancé, had a drink from the minibar, took a shower, went to bed and was found unresponsive the next morning. Though her death was initially ruled a heart attack, her cause of death is being investigated again.

DAVID HARRISON, 45
Harrison was celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife and 12-year-old son when he died suddently at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana in July of 2018. His cause of death was listed as heart attack as well as pulmonary edema, an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that can cause respiratory failure, and atherosclerosis.

MIRANDA SCHAUP-WERNER, 41
On May 25 of this year, the Pennsylvania psychotherapist collapsed after mixing a drink from the minibar in the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville in La Romana, where she was celebrating her ninth wedding anniversary with husband Daniel Werner. According to autopsy results, she died of a heart attack that caused respiratory failure and fluid accumulation in her lungs.

ROBERT BELL WALLACE, 67
The California construction company owner died in April while staying at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino resort in Punta Cana to attend his stepson’s wedding. His family says that he became ill after having a drink from the his hotel room’s minibar. He died three days later, and his family claims that authorities have not given them a cause of death.


JOSEPH ALLEN, 55
Hotel workers found the New Jersey man dead on the floor of his room at the Terra Linda in Sosua on June 13. A cause of death has not yet been released, but his family says they intend to order an independent autopsy.


LEYLA COX, 53
The Staten Island woman was found dead in her hotel room at the Excellence Hotel and Resort in Punta Cana on June 10. In a press conference, Public Health Minister Rafael Sanchez Cardenas spoke out about the case, saying that Leyla Cox had an enlarged heart, high blood pressure and that she had suffered “several past heart attacks” — an assertion her family disputes


CHRIS PALMER, 41
A military veteran who worked as a scuba diving instructor, Palmer was staying at the Villa Cocotal Palma resort in Punta Cana. The resort is close to the other properties where tourists have mysteriously died. After complaining of a headache, he was found dead in his room on April 18, 2018. Dominican authorities said he aspirated on his own vomit. His family says he was previously healthy.

 

[dotr]

Rick Springfield Cancels Dominican Republic Concert Amid Rising Number of Mysterious Deaths
July 1 2019
"Rick Springfield has cancelled his upcoming concert in the Dominican Republic amid rising concerns over safety in the country.

On Monday, the “Jessie's Girl” singer announced on social media that he would be postponing his “Rick Springfield & Friends” fan getaway event originally scheduled to take place in Punta Cana this November so that it may move to Cancún, Mexico in 2020. Since summer 2018, at least 10 American tourists have been confirmed dead after falling ill in the Dominican Republic — and dozens more have gotten sick.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation in the Dominican Republic,” Springfield, 69, wrote in a message shared to his Instagram and Twitter accounts. “In an abundance of caution and for the peace of mind and well-being of my fans, band and crew, the ‘Rick Springfield & Friends’ event in Punta Cana is being rescheduled to take place at Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in 2020. New dates will be determined as soon as possible. We hope to have this announcement within the next two weeks.”

 

[Inthedetails]

Mysterious Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths: The Victims So Far
Everything in this Slideshow

NATHANIEL EDWARD HOLMES, 63, and CYNTHIA ANN DAY, 49
On May 30, 2019, the couple was found dead in their hotel room at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana resort. According to the autopsy report, the couple suffered respiratory failure and fluid accumulation in their lungs, with Day also suffering a cerebral edema, though the cause of the fatal episodes was not clear and toxicology results are still pending.

YVETTE MONIQUE SPORT, 51
The Pennsylvania woman had just arrived at the Bahia Príncipe resort in Punta Cana when she died in June 2018. Sport, a bride-to-be traveling with her fiancé, had a drink from the minibar, took a shower, went to bed and was found unresponsive the next morning. Though her death was initially ruled a heart attack, her cause of death is being investigated again.

DAVID HARRISON, 45
Harrison was celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife and 12-year-old son when he died suddently at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana in July of 2018. His cause of death was listed as heart attack as well as pulmonary edema, an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that can cause respiratory failure, and atherosclerosis.

MIRANDA SCHAUP-WERNER, 41
On May 25 of this year, the Pennsylvania psychotherapist collapsed after mixing a drink from the minibar in the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville in La Romana, where she was celebrating her ninth wedding anniversary with husband Daniel Werner. According to autopsy results, she died of a heart attack that caused respiratory failure and fluid accumulation in her lungs.

ROBERT BELL WALLACE, 67
The California construction company owner died in April while staying at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino resort in Punta Cana to attend his stepson’s wedding. His family says that he became ill after having a drink from the his hotel room’s minibar. He died three days later, and his family claims that authorities have not given them a cause of death.


JOSEPH ALLEN, 55
Hotel workers found the New Jersey man dead on the floor of his room at the Terra Linda in Sosua on June 13. A cause of death has not yet been released, but his family says they intend to order an independent autopsy.


LEYLA COX, 53
The Staten Island woman was found dead in her hotel room at the Excellence Hotel and Resort in Punta Cana on June 10. In a press conference, Public Health Minister Rafael Sanchez Cardenas spoke out about the case, saying that Leyla Cox had an enlarged heart, high blood pressure and that she had suffered “several past heart attacks” — an assertion her family disputes


CHRIS PALMER, 41
A military veteran who worked as a scuba diving instructor, Palmer was staying at the Villa Cocotal Palma resort in Punta Cana. The resort is close to the other properties where tourists have mysteriously died. After complaining of a headache, he was found dead in his room on April 18, 2018. Dominican authorities said he aspirated on his own vomit. His family says he was previously healthy.

Thanks! BBM and IBM

So ages:
Men: 63, 45, 67, 55, 41
Women: 49, 51, 41, 53

Not exactly an especially elderly crowd on retirement trips, imo.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Rick Springfield Cancels Dominican Republic Concert Amid Rising Number of Mysterious Deaths
July 1 2019
"Rick Springfield has cancelled his upcoming concert in the Dominican Republic amid rising concerns over safety in the country.

On Monday, the “Jessie's Girl” singer announced on social media that he would be postponing his “Rick Springfield & Friends” fan getaway event originally scheduled to take place in Punta Cana this November so that it may move to Cancún, Mexico in 2020. Since summer 2018, at least 10 American tourists have been confirmed dead after falling ill in the Dominican Republic — and dozens more have gotten sick.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation in the Dominican Republic,” Springfield, 69, wrote in a message shared to his Instagram and Twitter accounts. “In an abundance of caution and for the peace of mind and well-being of my fans, band and crew, the ‘Rick Springfield & Friends’ event in Punta Cana is being rescheduled to take place at Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in 2020. New dates will be determined as soon as possible. We hope to have this announcement within the next two weeks.”

Just for the fun of it:

 

[JerseyGirl]

So the Hard Rock International chairman is blaming the deaths on the water (SMH!):

Hard Rock International chairman Jim Allen was asked about the role illegal alcohol may have played in the deaths of at least 11 Americans. He brushed off the possibility that suspected poisoning caused the sudden fatalities.

“I think it's frankly part of today’s media cycle. The reality is that when people travel abroad people get sick simply many times by just drinking water that’s different here than what we are used to in the United States."

Hard Rock Resort Chairman Claims This Is to Blame for Dominican Republic Deaths

 

[JerseyGirl]

here's a new one...

A 15-year-old tourist from Argentina is in a coma at a Dominican Republic hospital after suffering organ failure last week. Candela Aylén Saccone suffered a “diabetic ketoacidosis, with renal failure and cerebral edema" the same day she was scheduled to return home. Her family, however, claims she had no history of diabetes.

Tourism authorities and the Argentine embassy are monitoring the case.

Teen Argentine tourist falls into a coma during Dominican Republic vacation: report

 

[Inthedetails]

here's a new one...

A 15-year-old tourist from Argentina is in a coma at a Dominican Republic hospital after suffering organ failure last week. Candela Aylén Saccone suffered a “diabetic ketoacidosis, with renal failure and cerebral edema" the same day she was scheduled to return home. Her family, however, claims she had no history of diabetes.

Tourism authorities and the Argentine embassy are monitoring the case.

Teen Argentine tourist falls into a coma during Dominican Republic vacation: report

I wonder if she was allowed to have some alcohol from the minibar in their room, being on vacation and perhaps a bit relaxed about drinking? Would be good info to know.

jmo

 

[JerseyGirl]

The Dominican Republic is now scrambling to save what is left of its tourism industry:

June flight bookings to the Dominican Republic dropped 74.3% year over year, and cancellations have skyrocketed.

As more Americans look to cancel their flights, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are waiving change fees.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana has hired an American-based testing lab to inspect all food and beverage products and all public spaces across the 1,790-suite resort. In-room liquor at the all-inclusive resort has been removed. All but two of the resorts' alcoholic beverages are currently sourced from the U.S., but the new inspections come as some have speculated that the deaths across the nation may be linked to tainted alcohol or misused pesticides.

Dominican Republic, rocked by high-profile deaths, works to assure tourists it's safe

 

[Inthedetails]

The Dominican Republic is now scrambling to save what is left of its tourism industry:

June flight bookings to the Dominican Republic dropped 74.3% year over year, and cancellations have skyrocketed.

As more Americans look to cancel their flights, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are waiving change fees.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana has hired an American-based testing lab to inspect all food and beverage products and all public spaces across the 1,790-suite resort. In-room liquor at the all-inclusive resort has been removed. All but two of the resorts' alcoholic beverages are currently sourced from the U.S., but the new inspections come as some have speculated that the deaths across the nation may be linked to tainted alcohol or misused pesticides.

Dominican Republic, rocked by high-profile deaths, works to assure tourists it's safe

If they had taken action from the start and gave the impression of concern and responsibility, I think tourism wouldn't have taken a hit. But instead, officials expressed essentially disdain at concerns regarding the deaths and illnesses. Disdain is never a good idea when you want people on your side.

I really was rooting for DR to make this work - I feel for people living in an economy dependent on tourist dollars. But...DR responded in such a bad way, imo. Now they have more work cut out for them to recover.

Good luck to them. This situation can be turned around - still hope for that.

jmo

 

[Herat]

If they had taken action from the start and gave the impression of concern and responsibility, I think tourism wouldn't have taken a hit. But instead, officials expressed essentially disdain at concerns regarding the deaths and illnesses. Disdain is never a good idea when you want people on your side.

I really was rooting for DR to make this work - I feel for people living in an economy dependent on tourist dollars. But...DR responded in such a bad way, imo. Now they have more work cut out for them to recover.

Good luck to them. This situation can be turned around - still hope for that.

jmo

The actions of authorities was never contrite or convincing that they would fully investigate.

There appears to have been no further action from their government and the impression I get is that there was a complete collusion in covering up the causes of death, failing to recognize there was a significant concern for poisonings, and completely lacking transparency.

Tourists have many other options for cheap AI holidays and those other options are vicious competitors. The Hard Rock CEO was sly in getting a very self-serving message out there and removing the minibar, without ever giving the public an explanation of what had happened. They, of course, have many other AI resorts to steer tourists too. They knew what happened in Mexico and don't seem very surprised about what appears to have happened in DR.

I'm still awaiting the FBI and CDC reports.

 

[carolann0308]

<modsnipped quoted post>

The actions of authorities was never contrite or convincing that they would fully investigate.

There appears to have been no further action from their government and the impression I get is that there was a complete collusion in covering up the causes of death, failing to recognize there was a significant concern for poisonings, and completely lacking transparency.

Tourists have many other options for cheap AI holidays and those other options are vicious competitors. The Hard Rock CEO was sly in getting a very self-serving message out there and removing the minibar, without ever giving the public an explanation of what had happened. They, of course, have many other AI resorts to steer tourists too. They knew what happened in Mexico and don't seem very surprised about what appears to have happened in DR.

I'm still awaiting the FBI and CDC reports.

All middle aged. And according to the NYT.....
Of the 10 Americans who have died in the Dominican Republic over the last year, six have reportedly died of heart-related conditions, including one whose family said they do not view the death as suspicious. (Cardiovascular problems account for nearly half of all American tourist deaths abroad, according to the Centers for Disease Control.)
“We have not seen an uptick in the number of U.S. citizen deaths reported to the Department,” said an official with the State Department

 

[JerseyGirl]

The number of refunds for plane tickets from the US to the Dominican Republic skyrocketed 127 percent so far this year, compared to the same period last year.

The number of ticket refunds for non-US travelers heading to the Dominican Republic since the beginning of the year has increased by 8 percent.

And the total number of ticket purchases from other countries to the Caribbean nation has decreased by 28 percent during the same period.

Meanwhile, the number of booked flights from the US to the Caribbean overall — excluding the Dominican Republic — as well as Mexico actually increased by 3 percent so far this year.

The most significant increases occurred in St. Martin, with a 158 percent leap, and in Saint Barthélemy, with a 117 percent jump.

https://nypost.com/2019/07/02/refunds-for-us-to-dominican-republic-plane-tickets-up-127-percent/

 

[Inthedetails]

"A Virginia woman who fell sick on her honeymoon to the Dominican Republic says the undiagnosable illness upended her life for years — leading to nonstop vomiting episodes, countless hospital stays and the loss of her job....

During the trip, the couple enjoyed drinks from the resort’s poolside bar and went on various off-site excursions, such as snorkeling and zip lining, where alcohol was also available...

Clark said she always felt that her illness was linked to her honeymoon — and now seeing the reports, she says she wished she would’ve pressed the resort for more information."

https://nypost.com/2019/07/02/newly...ic-honeymoon-spiraled-into-years-long-ordeal/

 

[margarita25]

Rsbm
Hard Rock Cafe gets rid of all booze in their mini bars.
Hard Rock Hotel in Dominican Republic to remove liquor from minibars

Catching up, also from the above link (sorry if repost):

“The Hard Rock Hotel also announced it will be contracting with a U.S.-based health care facility to provide its guests with more comprehensive medical care.“

 

[otto]

Catching up, also from the above link (sorry if repost):

“The Hard Rock Hotel also announced it will be contracting with a U.S.-based health care facility to provide its guests with more comprehensive medical care.“

That won't make any difference if they are already dead when they are discovered. The point is to identify how they died and why so many died of the same alleged cause. If all the deaths are tied to alcohol, that seller needs to be identified, the product examined and solve the problem. It sounds like the resort wants to address the symptom not the cause.

 

[tarabull]

hmmmm....

CDC warns of fecal pool parasite — how you can stay safe

 

[margarita25]

hmmmm....

CDC warns of fecal pool parasite — how you can stay safe

“According to the CDC, all swimmers should avoid the pool if they are ill with diarrhea.”

Who wants go swimming when they have diarrhea?

 

[TristanP]

“According to the CDC, all swimmers should avoid the pool if they are ill with diarrhea.”

Who wants go swimming when they have diarrhea?

Stupid tourists who are determined not to let diarrhea ruin their vacation!

 

[Sarahlou]

“According to the CDC, all swimmers should avoid the pool if they are ill with diarrhea.”

Who wants go swimming when they have diarrhea?

Ew. That's just grim lol