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Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran’s brother, John, is the most recent to have died while visiting another country. He was found dead in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic in April. The family was told he passed from a heart attack, but no autopsy has been done yet.
Since June 2018, 6 U.S. tourist have been found dead. Two at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, and 4 at various Bahia Principe resorts. Three of the deaths have been listed as heart attacks. One was pulmonary edema, fluid in the lungs. The cause of death of another tourist is still unknown.
In May, a Maryland couple was found dead in their hotel room in the Dominican Republic, the autopsy showing respiratory failure and pulmonary edema as the cause of deaths.
Dominican authorities have asked the FBI for help on their investigation, though they believe the deaths were isolated incidents.
Two other couples who stayed at the Bahia Principe resort claimed to have gotten violently ill during their stay. One said their room had a “moldy, mildewy smell,” like the air condition hadn’t been cleaned. The other couple is suing the resort, claiming they were exposed to insecticides.