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

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FWIW, I was just spent a week in Punta Cana in May with 60 others (wedding) and not even one of us got sick! We all stayed at a resort called the Majestic. So far, I haven’t seen anything in the news about any of their three resorts.

Regardless, I would not go back to the DR anytime soon after seeing what has happened to so many people. I think we just got lucky & were at a pretty high end resort. We were also careful to never drink the water (even brushing our teeth).

My fiance and I bought a bottle of “Mamajuana” on one of our excursions that is still unopened, and we plan on dumping it just to be safe.

Just thought I’d throw my own experience in
Could you get it tested?
 
FWIW, I was just spent a week in Punta Cana in May with 60 others (wedding) and not even one of us got sick! We all stayed at a resort called the Majestic. So far, I haven’t seen anything in the news about any of their three resorts.

Regardless, I would not go back to the DR anytime soon after seeing what has happened to so many people. I think we just got lucky & were at a pretty high end resort. We were also careful to never drink the water (even brushing our teeth).

My fiance and I bought a bottle of “Mamajuana” on one of our excursions that is still unopened, and we plan on dumping it just to be safe.

Just thought I’d throw my own experience in

Like everyone else has suggested, get it tested.
 
Actually, no I posted about many DR citizens dying. Many of those were attending a funeral of those who died after drinking tainted alcohol and then they themselves died after drinking the same alcohol.
This is from 2017... I definitely wouldn’t be trying any homebrew anywhere! Homemade liquor kills 12, sickens 21 in Dominican Republic

I hope the message gets out to the resorts that they should immediately replace their mini bar bottles on tap with sealed bottles. And I hope that travelers recognize the risk they take when deciding to partake in these “on tap” mini bars. With that said,

IF this is adulterated alcohol, or tainted bootleg alcohol... why is it happening apparently only from minibars? (If I had time I’d list the deaths with their known last drink)

You would think IF the resort had bottles of tainted alcohol it would also be served from the hotel /resort at some point? That point is concerning to me, concerning but doesn’t mean I think it’s a serial killer. Could easily be a housekeeper or room attendant swapping out alcohol for their own use and topping bottles off with something else?

Or Dominican Republic citizens. I bet any "Sudden Heart Attacks" are covered up, and definitely not reported.
 
No, the Dominican Republic hasn't suddenly become more dangerous, statistics show

Statistics indicate you're more likely to die as an American in the United States than you are as an American in the Dominican Republic.

The “statistics indicate” quote got my ‘how to lie with statistics’ sensors on high alert. When I checked the article, they seem to have realized that their logic was off-base, and they deleted the quote. (Sounds as though they were comparing your chances of dying in the DR on a week-long vacation with your chances of dying in a year in the US. Not to mention, and they didn’t, that people in the last stages of cancer, etc. are probably not taking vacations in the DR.)

As for the headline—the statistics there refer to ‘unnatural deaths.’ Since the deaths we’re looking at on this thread were all classified as ‘natural deaths,’ those statistics are irrelevant, too.
 
"Dr. Reynold Panettieri Jr., a Rutgers University vice chancellor, told Fox & Friends that the FBI is conducting extensive tests to determine what may have caused at least nine people to die after visiting resorts in the Dominican Republic in the last year.

'Some of these individuals, couples dying with no pre-existing illness, really suggests a potential toxic exposure,' Dr. Panettieri said.

'Now that can be topical, ingested in the case of alcohol, or inhaled,' he continued. 'Inhaled intoxicants could be odorless and colorless. You wouldn't know.' ....

'It's very strange that suddenly out of the blue they would develop respiratory or cardiac failure,' Dr. Panettieri said. 'Certainly, heart attacks could occur, don't get me wrong. But the fact that they're clustered in this manner is quite concerning,' he said."

Toxicologist says a colorless, odorless 'intoxicant' could be cause of Dominican Republic deaths
 
What’s the count? 10? Crazy

i think this makes it 11: (published 19 hrs ago).


Deaths of Kansas man, Pennsylvania woman in Dominican Republic newly scrutinized amid spate of tourist fatalities

The families of two U.S. citizens have come forward to Fox News to report that the pair died suddenly while visiting the Dominican Republic.

They have been identified as Chris Palmer, a 41-year-old Army veteran from Kansas who died April 18, 2018, and Barbara Diane Maser-Mitchell, a 69-year-old retired nurse from Pennsylvania who died on Sept. 17, 2016, after falling critically ill at a resort.

The State Department confirmed their deaths to Fox News on Thursday.

The two deaths reported to Fox News come as US and Dominican officials are probing the sudden deaths of nine Americans on the island dating back to June 2018. Maser-Mitchell’s family came forward after learning of the other deaths through recent news reports and seeing similarities.

Dominican government officials have said that the deaths were coincidental and attributable to natural causes. Concerned about the impact of negative attention on their tourism industry --some 6 million people from around the world vacation there, and more than 2 million of these are from the U.S. -- officials from different government agencies have hit back at theories that the deaths were due to adulterated alcohol, pesticide exposure or deliberate poisoning.
 
I created a list of some of the cases we have been talking about: name, age, location, date of death, adult only or family friendly. I also included some of the other incidents to reference with links. Hope it helps with discussion :)

Grand Bahia Principe properties: Bahia Principle La Romana, Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville in La Romana, Bahia Príncipe resort in Punta Cana where 4 were found dead:

*Nathaniel Edward Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, Bahia Principle La Romana Family Resort 5/30/19

*Miranda Schaup-Werner, 41 -Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville La Romana Adult only 4/4/19

*Yvette Monique Sport, 51 Bahia Príncipe resort Punta Cana Family Resort ( poor family reviews) 2018


David Harrison, 45, Robert Bell Wallace, 67,Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana Family Rooms April &July 2018

*** noted that Wallace, Werner, Sport all drank from their hotel minibar before falling ill.***


Chris Palmer, a 41-year-old Villa Cocotal Palma resort Punta Cana April 18, 2018 Family Friendly

Barbara Diane Maser-Mitchell, a 69-year-old Excellence resort Punta Cana Adult only Sept. 17, 2016

Leyla Cox 53-year-old Excellence Hotel and Resort in Punta Cana June 10 2019

Jason Allen 55 years old Terra Linda resort in Sosúa Family Rooms June 13, 2019
----------------------
Other happenings ( not death):

--Skylar Martin and Derek Martin, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana drinks and hibachi bacterial blood infection June 2019

--50 Jimmy Buffet fans sick Hotel Riu Palace Macao eyeing bootleg from minibar confirmed salmonella Adult Only April 2019

--Deercreek grads and parents 5 sick Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana (same resort with 2 deaths) June 2019 hibachi and drinking

--Melissa Reycroft Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts in Punta Cana upset stomach/cramping for week only one in fam to get sick

--Tammy Lawrence-Daley 51 years old Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic beaten and left for dead in resort basement states one of the attackers was in uniform.

--Christine Dayman, 44 years old, Grand Bahia Principe Turquesa resort in Punta Cana RAPE March 16 2019

--Kaylynn Knull & Tom SchwanderGrand Bahia Principe La Romana organophosphate poisoning likely exposed to pesticides June 2018

--Ryan Duff,39 years old, Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, drank from minibar delirious, fever of 104.5 February 2019
 
I created a list of some of the cases we have been talking about: name, age, location, date of death, adult only or family friendly. I also included some of the other incidents to reference with links. Hope it helps with discussion :)

Grand Bahia Principe properties: Bahia Principle La Romana, Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville in La Romana, Bahia Príncipe resort in Punta Cana where 4 were found dead:

*Nathaniel Edward Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, Bahia Principle La Romana Family Resort 5/30/19

*Miranda Schaup-Werner, 41 -Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville La Romana Adult only 4/4/19

*Yvette Monique Sport, 51 Bahia Príncipe resort Punta Cana Family Resort ( poor family reviews) 2018


David Harrison, 45, Robert Bell Wallace, 67,Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana Family Rooms April &July 2018

*** noted that Wallace, Werner, Sport all drank from their hotel minibar before falling ill.***


Chris Palmer, a 41-year-old Villa Cocotal Palma resort Punta Cana April 18, 2018 Family Friendly

Barbara Diane Maser-Mitchell, a 69-year-old Excellence resort Punta Cana Adult only Sept. 17, 2016

Leyla Cox 53-year-old Excellence Hotel and Resort in Punta Cana June 10 2019

Jason Allen 55 years old Terra Linda resort in Sosúa Family Rooms June 13, 2019
----------------------
Other happenings ( not death):

--Skylar Martin and Derek Martin, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana drinks and hibachi bacterial blood infection June 2019

--50 Jimmy Buffet fans sick Hotel Riu Palace Macao eyeing bootleg from minibar confirmed salmonella Adult Only April 2019

--Deercreek grads and parents 5 sick Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana (same resort with 2 deaths) June 2019 hibachi and drinking

--Melissa Reycroft Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts in Punta Cana upset stomach/cramping for week only one in fam to get sick

--Tammy Lawrence-Daley 51 years old Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic beaten and left for dead in resort basement states one of the attackers was in uniform.

--Christine Dayman, 44 years old, Grand Bahia Principe Turquesa resort in Punta Cana RAPE March 16 2019

--Kaylynn Knull & Tom SchwanderGrand Bahia Principe La Romana organophosphate poisoning likely exposed to pesticides June 2018

--Ryan Duff,39 years old, Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, drank from minibar delirious, fever of 104.5 February 2019
Excellent summary.
Wow! This is insane
 
i think this makes it 11: (published 19 hrs ago).


Deaths of Kansas man, Pennsylvania woman in Dominican Republic newly scrutinized amid spate of tourist fatalities

The families of two U.S. citizens have come forward to Fox News to report that the pair died suddenly while visiting the Dominican Republic.

They have been identified as Chris Palmer, a 41-year-old Army veteran from Kansas who died April 18, 2018, and Barbara Diane Maser-Mitchell, a 69-year-old retired nurse from Pennsylvania who died on Sept. 17, 2016, after falling critically ill at a resort.

The State Department confirmed their deaths to Fox News on Thursday.

The two deaths reported to Fox News come as US and Dominican officials are probing the sudden deaths of nine Americans on the island dating back to June 2018. Maser-Mitchell’s family came forward after learning of the other deaths through recent news reports and seeing similarities.

Dominican government officials have said that the deaths were coincidental and attributable to natural causes. Concerned about the impact of negative attention on their tourism industry --some 6 million people from around the world vacation there, and more than 2 million of these are from the U.S. -- officials from different government agencies have hit back at theories that the deaths were due to adulterated alcohol, pesticide exposure or deliberate poisoning.

Common sense tells us that the cases where two people that were vacationing together both died or both got sick is a huge sign that something other than their own health caused it. The odds of that happening where both died is almost impossible that it would be "natural".

Instead of the officials at the DR "hitting back" at the concerns people have, how about doing some real investigation without worrying about public perceptions. Do a proper lengthy investigation and be honest with everyone what the results are and what future actions are going to be taken to prevent them.

If the officials in DR think this kind of stuff happens all the time then they need to find other examples in other countries where 2 people vacationing died at the same exact time of natural causes on their vacation. Its practically impossible of that happening while on vacation. The odds would be astronomical and in the DR we are seeing many examples of it. A lot of the sicknesses/deaths were even happening at the same exact place. Hello DR!

Something is wrong and there needs to be honest and accurate answers as to the causes. And I agree there are multiple causes at this point falling into the previous categories mentioned.
 
Common sense tells us that the cases where two people that were vacationing together both died or both got sick is a huge sign that something other than their own health caused it. The odds of that happening where both died is almost impossible that it would be "natural".

Instead of the officials at the DR "hitting back" at the concerns people have, how about doing some real investigation without worrying about public perceptions. Do a proper lengthy investigation and be honest with everyone what the results are and what future actions are going to be taken to prevent them.

If the officials in DR think this kind of stuff happens all the time then they need to find other examples in other countries where 2 people vacationing died at the same exact time of natural causes on their vacation. Its practically impossible of that happening while on vacation. The odds would be astronomical and in the DR we are seeing many examples of it. A lot of the sicknesses/deaths were even happening at the same exact place. Hello DR!

Something is wrong and there needs to be honest and accurate answers as to the causes. And I agree there are multiple causes at this point falling into the previous categories mentioned.
Yes, I think DR is blowing the PR. They could use this as an opportunity, actually, and handle it in a way that is impressive and gives positive attention to the place. But they seem to be shaming people who are concerned and are dismissing the whole thing - like with the comment that one of the newlyweds had a heart attack because of the shock of seeing her new husband dead from a heart attack. That is a condescending comment at best, imo.

I really want to be on the side of DR as I know this situation can hurt the economy....but, come on. Stand up, face the issues, and fix the problems - whether it's actual problems or perception.

jmo
 
Yes, I think DR is blowing the PR. They could use this as an opportunity, actually, and handle it in a way that is impressive and gives positive attention to the place. But they seem to be shaming people who are concerned and are dismissing the whole thing - like with the comment that one of the newlyweds had a heart attack because of the shock of seeing her new husband dead from a heart attack. That is a condescending comment at best, imo.

I really want to be on the side of DR as I know this situation can hurt the economy....but, come on. Stand up, face the issues, and fix the problems - whether it's actual problems or perception.

jmo

Exactly.

It is very sad to me the reaction from the DR officials.
More than sad, its the totally wrong way to handle it.

You are so right that if handled better, it could actually help people get confidence in going there. Instead all their responses to-date are just making more people never want to ever go there now.

People are not stupid and they are insulting the public's intelligence with their responses. It is very apparant they are trying to just "explain things away" and to try to sweep things under the rug.

Its sad because people are generally forgiving and we can understand anything that could have happened so long as they take actions to correct it. Even if they find out a maid or someone else like a manager was swapping liquor then so long as the problems are corrected then people understand that type of thing could happen anywhere.

But their responses to-date have been nothing but awful "excuses" without any basis with how they proved what they are saying.

Their reactions and public statements need to be used as a guide for "How not to handle bad events at your resort".

Im just sad about the whole thing because their responses and actions did not have to go this way.
 
http://nypost.com/2019/06/10/nearly-70-tourists-to-dominican-republic-reported-illness-since-march/

Nearly 70 tourists have reported getting violently ill while vacationing in the Dominican Republic since March, according to a commonly used website that tracks food-borne illness outbreaks.

That’s up from just 10 reported illnesses in the country for all of 2018, according to iwaspoisoned.com. In June alone, 52 tourists reported symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

More than 45 of them identified themselves as guests at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana.

“People report food-borne illnesses but it’s possible that they experienced some other type of contamination,” said Patrick Quade, founder of iwaspoisoned.com, adding that he consulted with scientists regarding his findings.

“We started to see unusual activity in April when six people reported being ill on the island, but in June it exploded,” Quade said.

One expert Quade consulted, Lee-Ann Jaykus, a food microbiologist in the department of food science at North Carolina State University, said exposure to an insecticide chemical known as organophosphate could result in severe vomiting and diarrhea, but in dire cases it could cause a cardiac crisis.

The families of at least three people who died at resorts on the island last month were told that their loved ones died from pulmonary edema and respiratory failure.

“It is quite possible that Patrick has picked up something significant” that is not food-related, Jaykus told The Post.

more at link

According to the website linked above:

Dominican Republic
Persons Reported Sick Last 7 days = 801
Dominican Republic - Got Food Poisoning? Report it now

Also, there is a new post from today.


ETA: I just hit refresh. Now it says 802.
 
But they seem to be shaming people who are concerned and are dismissing the whole thing - like with the comment that one of the newlyweds had a heart attack because of the shock of seeing her new husband dead from a heart attack. That is a condescending comment at best, imo.
Yes, exactly this

That statement is beyond amateurish and as there was no witness to the events, cannot be substantiated. That is not forensic cause of death. That’s a vague layman’s term.

An autopsy conducted by a properly-trained forensic pathologist who did the expected additional studies of microscopic examinations and toxicology should have been done.

At this point,until some agency shows otherwise, I think these death investigations are cursory and conducted by individuals that dont have the expertise or the govenment funding to do a proper job of it.

The DR official who gave the statement should have exmphasized their appreciation for and coperation with US agencies investigating these deaths and deferred any speculation about them until the final reports were issued..
 
Hang tight we should be hearing soon results of testing that was conducted as results were due back yesterday.

FBI, CDC Join Probe Into Mysterious Dominican Republic Deaths

Noting also World Health Organization (WHO), in addition to FBI and CDC:

“Teams with the CDC and the World Health Organization were conducting tests on June 6 at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana and the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville, hotels that are situated at the same resort in the Caribbean country.”


WHO:
Home

“Our primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system.

Our main areas of work are health systems; health through the life-course; noncommunicable and communicable diseases; preparedness, surveillance and response; and corporate services.”
 
Noting also World Health Organization (WHO), in addition to FBI and CDC:

“Teams with the CDC and the World Health Organization were conducting tests on June 6 at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana and the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville, hotels that are situated at the same resort in the Caribbean country.”


Home

“Our primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system.

Our main areas of work are health systems; health through the life-course; noncommunicable and communicable diseases; preparedness, surveillance and response; and corporate services.”

Lets hope they were able to acquire some actual samples of mini bar bottles that would be the same as what the affected guests drank. I have a concern that if tainted alcohol was one of the causes then maybe the resort knew it and pulled all their liquor and replaced with good liquor by now. Lets hope what they are testing is what the affected guests actually consumed.

I like the categories of illnesses previously mentioned and I am sure some of the casees will fall in the different categories like
*tainted alcohol
*Pesticide or other poisonous spraying
*Toxic Fumes getting into the venting

One other thought about the ones where people only got sick and did not die is I wondered if there maybe a new insect born illness possibly. Maybe some new strain of an airborn or water born illness that we had never seen before. Sort of like how Ebola first was introduced to Society. They start somewhere and maybe a new strain of something has developed. That would be the last thing I would check after checking the other categories first.

btw-To avoid water in other countries it is more difficult than it sounds. You have to not use Ice Cubes, Not open your mouth when showering, Not using tap water when brushing teeth, not drink other liquids that may contain a water product like Ice Tea, Cool Aid, even local Sodas, etc all would have local water possibly. Even if the brand on the label looks familiar, it could have been bottled and processed in another country.

Things like this are things that you dont even think about and can cause you to get the local water into your body.
 
Some notes as I’m still catching up, sorry for any reposts:


From 6/11:

“A rep for Bahia Principe Hotel & Resorts provided a statement to The Post declining to comment further on the cases.

“Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts would like to express our deep respect to the authorities and the ongoing investigations,” the statement said. “We reiterate our firm commitment to collaborating completely with the authorities and hope for a prompt resolution of their inquiries and actions and will not be making any further statements that may interfere with them.””

IMO that case tho tragic is probably not related. Circumstances and cause of deaths are very different than these other cases. My personal opinion only is that one really was an accident.

Sure makes ya wonder though...they were drinking iirc...

—-


“August 2018: Terrence Richmond, 56, died on Aug. 29. Annette Wedington, his mother, said that officials ruled his cause of death as a heart attack but that she found bruising to his back and trauma on his knuckles when the body was transported to the United States.

According to the autopsy, Howard (BBM) had fluid in his lungs and a cracked skull.

She told WJZ she thinks her son was in a struggle before his death.

“He was healthy. I know they’re lying. I just want closure,” she said.

“They kept my son’s body over there for more than a month. He has bruising on his back like he had been kicked. I just think about it sometimes and I want to cry.””

Her son was a veteran and an educator. She was told he had a heart attack—but says she found trauma on his knuckles when she brought the body back to the United States and bruising to his back. @wjzpic.twitter.com/VWykyZ6PID

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 7, 2019

Do we know at which resort he was staying? (Perhaps this question is answered further downstream, making a note in case it’s not.)
 
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