Two more deaths of Americans in the Dominican Republic: authorities insist on 'natural causes'

The families of two American tourists who died in the Dominican Republic turned to Fox News after hearing news of nine other victims of the horror resort. It turned out that on September 17, 2016, a 69-year-old woman from Pennsylvania died while on vacation, and on April 18, 2018, a 41-year-old man from Kansas died. These people were not related, but the families of both victims no longer believe in “natural causes,” the decreedata on death certificates.

Фото: Depositphotos

The death of Chris Palmer, an army veteran from Kansas, and Barbara Diane Mather-Mitchell, a former nurse from Pennsylvania, was confirmed by the US State Department, to which the editors Fox News applied on June 20. Both became seriously ill and died at a resort in the Dominican Republic. Relatives of the victims heard stories of other victims of the “death resort” on the news and contacted the editor, reporting their cases.

In the Dominican Republic, about 6 million people from all over the world and more than 2 million from the United States rests annually. Of course, local authorities are concerned about the impact of negative attention on the tourism industry.

Government officials of the Dominican Republic said that the death of people was accidental and was due to natural causes. Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia noted that he saw the final reports on all nine victims and did not find in them anything that could indicate something mysterious or criminal.

“As determined by the autopsies performed, the deaths were due to the pre-existing health conditions of each decedent,” Garcia said.

Representatives of the United States said that there is no evidence that these deaths are related. The Palmer and Mathers-Mitchell families, as well as relatives of other victims who died in the Dominican resorts in 2018 and 2019, strongly reject these allegations.

On the subject: Unexplained deaths of Americans in the Dominican Republic: Answers to 8 Top Questions

The Palmer family was told by the authorities that he had pulmonary edema and a heart attack was the official cause of death. Mather-Mitchell’s death was also attributed to a heart attack.

“As soon as he died, I wondered if he had been poisoned or drugged,” said Bernadette Hiller, who dated Palmer for about 10 years and saw him a week before his death. “He was as healthy as a horse.”

Mather-Mitchell went to the Excellence Resort in Punta Cana to celebrate her birthday with her son and his girlfriend. On the second day at the resort, after cocktails, she said she didn't feel well and went to her room. According to her son's partner, Terry McKee, she did not come out for breakfast the next day because she was feeling unwell, although she drank "in moderation".

Mather-Mitchell was getting worse and the family called a local doctor, who suggested hospitalization. Not right away, but she agreed. In the ambulance, her heart stopped. Mather-Mitchell underwent a medical examination before the trip and was cleared to go on vacation, McKee said. When Mather-Mitchell's body arrived in the United States, it was in such poor condition that she was unrecognizable.

Barbara Mather-Mitchell. A photo: family property (Terry Mackey)

Mackey said Mather-Mitchell was generally a healthy woman. It is not known whether a woman drank a drink from a minibar, like other tourists. Earlier it was reported that the FBI is testing samples from mini-bars in the rooms, but Garcia denies this.

On the subject: 'I begged you not to go': just two days in the Dominican Republic two residents of New York died

Families are skeptical and say they do not believe the words of Dominican officials. Relatives believe that the disclosure of the true causes of death can badly affect the profits of the tourism industry, so the authorities will be silent. Mackey insists that Mather-Mitchell was a licensed nurse and would recognize signs of a heart attack.

Palmer, who served in the army and was a scuba diving instructor, loved traveling and was well versed in what to avoid, the family said. He stayed at the Villa Cocotal Palma resort in Punta Cana. Friends and family say he worked at a resort in Mexico and went to the Dominican Republic to sell timeshare and scuba diving at the resort.

At one point, he told his friends that he was feeling ill and complained of a strong headache, said his former girlfriend Bernadette Hiller. She also does not know if he drank something in the hotel’s bar or mini-bar.

18 April he was found dead in his room. Dominican authorities said the man choked on his vomit. Friends and family said they were forced to cremate his body.

Chris Palmer with his daughter. Photo: video frame Fox News

Relatives of most of the dead American tourists expressed doubts about the veracity of the information received from the Dominican authorities. Some have expressed dissatisfaction with the US State Department, which, in their opinion, has taken a too passive role. Several relatives of the victims plan to conduct their own analyzes in the United States.

At least two members of Congress this week said they would seek answers. Representative Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat of Dominican origin, tweeted that next month he would go to the Dominican Republic to meet with representatives of tourism and the government and discuss the situation.

Related: New Death in the Dominican Republic: a doctor from Russia suddenly died while resting

In a June 19 letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Rep. Frank Pallone wrote: “The circumstances surrounding the untimely deaths of nine Americans are heartbreaking, and I ask that you take immediate action to inform the families and provide them with full justice.” information regarding the cause of death of their loved ones as the investigation continues.”

Pallone noted that “at least nine American tourists without pre-existing diseases experienced similar symptoms, including pulmonary edema, bleeding, vomiting of blood and death ... I also urge you to speed up the reassessment of the Dominican Republic travel recommendations and make sure that American travelers are completely understand the risks associated with traveling ... ”

Pallone also called on the State Department to reconsider its travel rating for the Dominican Republic, which is currently at Level 2, suggesting increased caution, citing increased crime. The highest rating is Level 4, signaling a high degree of danger.

Garcia acknowledged that the recent deaths - and international media reporting on them - will have an impact on the tourism industry heading to the Caribbean. He insists the impact will be short-lived.

“Dominican hospitality is one of the international standards,” he said. I have visited countless countries and I say that there is not a single hotel in the capitals of the world that matches the characteristics of our hotels in the eastern region of the country.”

However, he said that the ministry plans to go "from hotel to hotel" to determine the level of security and decide what else needs to be done to improve the quality.

“We want to ensure that all safety measures are in place for our guests,” Garcia said.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, from Prince George County, Virginia, were found dead in a room at the Bahía Príncipe in the resort of Playa Nueva Romana, on the south-east coast of the country.
• Miranda Schaupp-Werner was found dead in a hotel Grand Bahía Príncipe in La Romana 25 May.
• Relatives of 51-year-old Yvette Monique Sport told that she went to the resort last June and stopped at the Bahia Principe Resort in Punta Cana. In the room she drank a drink from the minibar and died that night.
• Delaware Woman severely beaten and left to die at a resort in the Dominican Republic. Tammy Lawrence-Daily said she wants to share her story "in the hope that women will be more knowledgeable."
• She said that on the second night of her vacation in January at the Majestic Elegance Punta Cana resort, where she arrived with her husband and two friends, she went to the next building to have a snack. She was attacked. The woman's nose and arm are broken, she has partially lost her hearing.
• A woman from New York claims that because of a soda bottle filled with bleach, she’s was bleeding in the same resort in the Dominican Republic, where at least three American tourists died suddenly.
• 31 is a summer tourist from Russia Maria Cheremushkina passed away during the holidays Dominican Republic. The incident occurred on the night of June 1. Relatives learned that shortly before the incident, the girl complained of heartache, but the necessary help was not provided to her. For some reason, she was taken to the hospital by taxi, because the ambulance staff refused to call the hotel.
• Deer Creek High School Alumni (Oklahoma) flew out June 8 to the Dominican Republic and settled at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, where at least 2 Americans had previously died and several others had fallen ill. Soon, the adolescents began to feel unwell, and they could not establish a diagnosis.
• 18 June became aware of the death in the Dominican Republic of 55-year-old Joseph Allen from New Jersey. Him body 13 Jun found on the floor of the hotel room.
• 20 June became aware that 59-year-old Susan Simono passed away on June 19 in New Orleans after she was urgently hospitalized due to fluid in her lungs. Her death came in a week after she returned from her honeymoon in Punta Cana.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Unexplained deaths of Americans in the Dominican Republic: Answers to 8 Top Questions

The death toll rises: New Jersey residents found dead at a resort in the Dominican Republic

New death in the Dominican Republic: a doctor from Russia died suddenly while on holiday

6 American tourists died in the Dominican Republic: what is happening at the resort now?

The death of American tourists in the Dominican Republic combines one terrible detail

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