Many people are citing that those that died were in poor health. Even if true that doesn’t disqualify some kind of poison there in thE DR which may have taken these people to the brink .
I’ve heard people interviewed , young healthy people , that they were got very sick with severe gastrointestinal symptoms . Maybe those with a weak heart couldn’t survive the poison but that does not mean that their death was inevitable . But for the poison , lying on the beach wouldn’t have been fatal for them .
3
There is something called "Holiday Heart Syndrome" which is a cardiac arrhythmia due to binge drinking. That can be fatal. I'm sure that having liquor dispensers in the rooms is conducive to that.
There was also a mysterious death of an Aboriginal Canadian woman several months ago. She returned to her hotel room where her mother was sleeping about 3am and apparently jumped or fell from her balcony. She died of her injuries. Her family had to raise a large amount of money to get her remains released from the hospital and shipped home. They felt the circumstances were very suspicious. Her community, Sagkeeng First Nation, has had the largest number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada.
3
I don't know what is causing these deaths but, according to my 18 year old son who went recently with other High School kids, cocaine (or whatever it actually is) is being openly sold on the resort beaches, no matter the age of the tourist, while resort employees either turn a blind eye or try to sell it themselves. Makes you wonder about what else is going on at the resorts.
"The spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, Carlos Suero, told Fox News that Mr. Holmes died first, and Ms. Day died afterward, 'probably from the shock of seeing the person beside her dead.'" (That is the most ridiculous "explanation" I've ever heard and really undermines the credibility - if any - of the Ministry of Public Health.)
10
A few tourists (or lawyers) visiting the DR and bringing back a few dozen plastic bags of swabbed insecticide residue/minibar liquor samples and sending them to a reputable. certified analytical lab would potentially answer more questions than all the smoke thrown by DR and US authorities to date.
8
I've never had any desire to travel anywhere near Haiti or the DR. These 10 deaths only ensure that my travel money will never make it to the DR. 10 deaths is far too many. But the blame should not all go to this poor island county. Americans in general are unhealthy, obese, and have weaker immune systems. Americans have very poor diets. And many many have heart problems. So when they enter these less sanitary countries, their bodies often times can't cope with it.
5
You might want to show some empathy for the diseased
4
Where are the toxicology results? It might take up to 30 days for a full profile of biological fluids, but testing for poisons like organ-phosporous compounds on surfaces or methanol in liquor takes hours. In fact, many US state forensic labs can turn this around in 48h where homicide is suspected. How about flying in analytical chemists and some instrumentation and sharing results instead of flying in PR flaks. Personally, I suspect both incompetence and corruption in our DoS given the absurd explanations after multiple highly suspicious deaths. And how about adding to a country travel alert information that a hotel doctor runs $2000 and is required before transport to a hospital.
9
Who regulates these hotels? Remember the FAA? They regulate aircraft, including Boeing; sometimes they allow Boeing to regulate Boeing. What about F(food) D(drugs) A (admin) and the DEA? Between them they have control over important aspects of drug/pharmaceutical use and quality. There are regulatory bodies for school, universities, banks, policemen and virtually every imaginable service in our society. Hotels? Santo Domingo? Caveat emptor !
1
As others have mentioned, it does sound like poisoning from methyl parathion (a toxic pesticide; google the effects), likely sprayed to kill bed bugs.
Yikes.
9
While it is true nine American deaths (amongst more than two million annual visitors) is statistically small, the death of the couple on the same night is what raises suspicion most. Have there also been similar deaths amongst other foreign nationals visiting? Have local residents been afflicted?
It's understandable the Dominican Republic's government opts against being alarmist or hysterical, the dismissive and seemingly unconcerned stance doesn't help - especially while people are grieving and concerned about visiting. Better information is needed rather than odd theories of a surviving companion dying of fright, or hearing of medical equipment being inoperative all over the D.R.
An important lesson is to purchase travel insurance regardless one's age and health status. Many learn too late their insurance doesn't cover medical treatment, hospitalization, medical evacuation (or repatriation after death) while abroad. It adds insult to injury plus untimely burden to incur expenses in the thousands of dollars (or other currencies) after an unfortunate event. Travel agents sell insurance, and multiple insurers are also available for direct purchase.
Note: the travel insurance credit cards offer is usually much more limited and does not reimburse you for the expenses of illness or death while traveling.
5
There are other tourist infested countries that have some of the same serious problems, not just the DR.
Rape/violence/murder are not uncommon in Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas and others. Theft is rampant too. Beware of your surroundings always. Or avoid these types of vacation travel all together. These resorts sound like living nightmares.
I'll pass.
8
Would be great for you to follow this story up with more data on tourism deaths in this area, regardless of their country of origin. To me it seems very odd this number of deaths and the way that many have died... but please give some context.
Example: Number of tourist deaths per year over the last 5 years and in which Caribbean countries/islands would paint a clearer picture for your readers.
3
Better safe than sorry. I re booked to Aruba.
6
Best lesson I learned today from this article? Know how to contact emergency services without relying on anyone else when traveling out of the country.
Condolences to those who have lost loved ones.
87
@Michael
Emergency services wouldn't have mattered most places I've traveled. You'd be long gone before you ever got to a proper medical facility. If first aid isn't enough, well, that's that.
I was taught to buy decent international health insurance instead. Specifically, you want a plan that covers mortuary preparation and disposition abroad. Dying in a foreign country is expensive and inconvenient. There's no reason to make your death more of a burden on survivors.
In the rare event you do actually survive the initial trauma, a good plan will also pay to transport you to a domestic medical facility. David Ortiz is the exception that proves the rule. I would just as well assume any major medical crisis is fatal though.
7
Acute pesticide toxicity is clearly a significant issue globally but according to the WHO, it's principally a threat to agricultural workers in remote rural communities. And to people who ingest it suicidally.
One would really expect that the people who'd be dying off are the maids, janitors and domestic staff at the resorts, not so much the guests. It might look a bit obvious if the cleaners had to work wearing NBC/HAZMAT suits.
1
@nolongeradoc According to Transparency Intl, DR is rife with corruption. Given that tourism is their cash cow, I doubt they would publicize deaths and illnesses suffered by hotel staff.
6
What I don't understand is why a number of these deaths occurred for exactly the same reasons, linked to drinks people consumed from the minibars in their hotel rooms (according to reporting in the Times and WaPo). I'm beginning to wonder if there's a coverup going on. Statistically the number of deaths may be well within the number occurring in such places, but the question is whether or not there is a common cause in at least some of them and whether or not that's being investigated.
5
No where in this article does it say how many Americans visit the DR on an annual basis - I would gues hundreds of thousands. I would like to see a statistical evaluation of the number of deaths due to a medical event such as heart attack, stroke, etc compared to the number that visited. Is it out of line? Somehow I doubt it. Nine people dying in a year -how many people by comparison die on a trip to Europe in a year? Or for that matter, how many people in the US traveled to another part of the country and subsequently died in their hotel rooms from natural causes. Let's have some context here. Did the deceased have underlying health issues? At least one was on medication - should they have been consuming alcohol? While there are some legitimate concerns possibly, no evidence has been offered that would indicate these any anything but unfortunate medical events that would probably have occurred if the person had been at home. There is a lot more to this that needs to be investigated.
2
2 million per article
1
apparently the "hose' mechanisms used to dispense drinks at bars can be poisonous. they're never cleaned and the germ buildup is enormous. an earlier comment mentions some sort of dispensers on bottles in the room. and several of the stories say the victim was ok before having a drink in their room. personally, i would drink from sealed containers only and avoid DR.
11
To put these fears to rest, show some data. DR officials should show the number of foreign visitor deaths that have occurred in DR over the last 10 years. Maybe compare it with foreign visitor deaths at other Caribbean countries. Show the causes of death in an easy to understand graph.
Transparency is the only way to work through a crisis like this. Even if the data isn’t good, they can say highlight and market every measure they will be implementing in order to fix it.
This is cable news hype plus the human brain constantly seeking patterns running amok. The key sentence is that the # of deaths is statistically expected. So we're seeing stats at work.
2
The number of deaths, viewed in the context of there being over 3 million tourists -- 2 million of those being Americans -- visiting the country each year, is indeed statistically not abnormal. Accusations of the Dominicans covering up the causes are, per multiple news reports, unfounded; US personnel -- even the FBI -- are involved in the analyses and investigations.
For comparison: The annual death rate in Florida is 16.2 per 100,000. Disregarding motor vehicle fatalities, it's still over 8 per 100,000, or 160 for 2 million, the number of American tourists to the Dominican Republic. Assuming a typical stay by the visitor of two weeks, the expected number of deaths for that visiting population, using Florida rates, is six.
Tourists die everywhere, from a variety of causes. There is minimal cause for concern here.
4
It's a crowd that may be a notch above the cruise ship level. Instead of taking a vacation with thousands of strangers and eating unlimited well presented cafeteria food, these folks choose to vacation with hundreds, lost between usatiated hunger and unfulfilled lives. These are the same folks who have high expectations of others but low of themselves. They stay in luxury resorts to see what a clean toilet bowl looks like, it is their insight into some standard, albeit make believe.
2
I suspect the problem is tainted alcohol. The same thing has been happening at Mexican resorts for many years. Some criminal realizes that they can make a quick buck by replacing genuine alcohol with homemade stuff, except the alcohol maker is an amateur and ends up producing alcohol contaminated with methanol. Unsuspecting tourists drink the methanol contaminated alcohol and die.
10
Why would anyone want to vacation somewhere with "minimal contact with local communities?" The relationship there is going to be exploitive from both sides. If the local community is a danger to you that you need the protective walls of an all-inclusive resort, why bother visiting? Go somewhere else where they are glad to have you, and you in turn are happy to be there.
13
i don't mean to be judgemental or callous, but he says "if we were in usa i would say take me to the hospital", why wouldn't she take him to the hospital? if my spouse were that sick i would without hesitation, do that. then she complains that the response in a 3rd world country when he was dying wasn't fast enough. i am sorry for her family's loss but i am baffled by that. and if you're staying at hardrock can't you afford a cc that has million dollar emergency health insurance included?
3
Wow having to hear these deaths really scares me. My wife and I visited Puna Cana, DR and stayed at an all-inclusive resort a few years ago. I recall one day my wife became ill with a severe stomach ache after eating at a restaurant that was serving sushi that apparently was spoiled.
Thank God she's okay but suffered severe cramps/stomach for about 2 days. I was able to buy some over-the-counter products to help her out. I was okay because I didn't eat any sushi.
13
The Dominican Republic's officals' dismissive responses have ruined the country's credibility and integrity. Why would anyone ever go there again? The only thing worse than dying is having a goverment cover up the cause of it. A wife died from the shock of seeing her husband dead next to her?? Omg, that's so pathetic an explanation it's almost comical.
116
@DA
I thought the same thing!
7
@Marshall i'm still thinking the same thing. How is it that they both got a pulmonary edema?! IMPOSSIBLE.
13
Perception is reality, and truth generally lies somewhere between extremes. But travelers to the DR or any similarly poor island have to realize that such countries are not the same as the U.S. The level of sanitary conditions, medical care, police control and integrity, transportation and food inspection and control is far below that found in America. It simply is not as safe in the islands as it is here.
114
@Disillusioned, It's not just the DR. Other countries are as bad if not worse, such as Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahama.
6
@Disillusioned its not just the perception, it is the timeframe of the deaths. What was it, 9 or 11 deaths in a 2wk period and and couple just opened everybodys eyes. Has this many people dies at any resort in this short of a time period?!
2
It was 10 deaths in a whole year.
Tourism is the life blood for most Caribbean countries; reports like the ones from the DR are the death-knell for this important sector of Caribbean economies. Although traveling to any place has no guarantees, the incidents in the DR do raise red flags, and being defensive is a waste of time. Trying to get to the bottom of the underlying causes should be the first priority.
38
This story is complicated by a lack of reliable analyses of causes of death by local authorities. One statement suggests an arrogant reluctance to deal with sound analytical techniques:
The spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, Carlos Suero, told Fox News that Mr. Holmes died first, and Ms. Day died afterward, “probably from the shock of seeing the person beside her dead.”
That statement conveys not only misogyny, but an ignorant and callous disregard for the causes of the deaths.
78
@Elizabeth Bennett, sounds like republican climate change deniers!
A lot of trump supporters will comment on how horrible it is that DR ignores sound medical advice in favor of 'fake news' defense, and whine about 'arrogant reluctance to deal with sound techniques' Very unprofessional! But ignoring climate science and arrogantly insulting the entire world while screaming 'deep state!'......entirely logical to a trump follower.
The hypocrisy and irony should be obvious, but they won't see it.
7
@Elizabeth Bennett
“probably from the shock of seeing the person beside her dead"
I don't know that that's necessarily misogynist. I could imagine waking up to find my wife of 22 years dead next to me might give me a heart attack.
6
@Elizabeth Bennett ... and that is exactly the problem I see. In their efforts to convey that nothing is wrong.. they come off as so ignorant that you have to assume that something is going on.
This particular comment by the Public Health ministry was the final straw for me.
17
I visited St. Martin -- not the Dominican Republic -- a number of years ago. In the morning after my first night's sleep at the hotel I stayed at, I woke up and noticed a terrible smell in my room. I also noticed a lot of ants on the floor.
I asked to switch rooms and the front desk allowed me to. Then the maid stopped by and tried to convince me to stay in the room and that she would spray the room with bug repellent and that when I came back, the ants would be gone.
I realized that the last person who stayed in my room probably asked to switch rooms because of the ants and that the maid sprayed the room and then left the windows closed -- thus, the terrible smell --with no ventilation. So, I spent the night in a room with toxic chemicals and no open windows and the maid -- not the front desk -- tried to convince me to not switch rooms. I switched rooms but this was an eye opener for me.
13
If a certain number of deaths at a popular resort destination are to be statistically expected, then where are the comparison figures from other popular resort nations in the tropics? Such as Mexico, Haiti, the Bahamas, etc? That should settle the question of whether the DR is being 'singled out' unfairly.
7
I worked on a boat in the Caribbean 20 years ago. Taking American and British visitors through the islands. The DR resorts were spectacular. But one was really limited to staying in those resorts that were guarded by heavily armed security and barbed wire fences. Fun places to stay for some, but no interaction with the DR on the outside of those fences.
We were attacked by four young teens and beaten badly, outside those fences. When we went to the police they wanted $200 to write a police report we needed to present to the US Embassy to show our passports had been stolen. When we arrived at the embassy after walking for hours across Santo Domingo, the embassy workers were appalled that we had walked across the city, telling us it was too dangerous. We got bus money and on the bus EVERY person was armed. Everyone had a gun or a knife, from the young to the old. We were told by the manager on our visit to a La Romana resort the next week that we were lucky that we weren't killed. Interestingly enough, no one in the US or British media were talking about these apparently frequent violent crimes against visitors.
Our company stopped all visits to the DR after that. And in the 20 years since, I recommend to people that ask, many other islands in the Caribbean that are safer, and provide a more unique/ immersive experience than the caged resorts of the DR.
29
Not sure where the deaths of the MD couple fit within the narrative that natural deaths to Americans occur in the DR just as at home. Clearly, the DR is an opaque society that will yield its secrets only under compulsion. Among other things, I'd like to know what's the death rate of visitors from other countries.
Driving a car to work is important, so we do it even though we know its airbag is dangerous. Killing weeds has some value, so we may continue to use Roundup. Eating fish is good for you, even if it has some mercury in it. Many known risks are outweighed by the utility of the activity, so we take the risks.
What, exactly, is the utility of vacationing in the DR? Guzzling beers at breakfast? Can do that at home, I suppose if one is so inclined. All-inclusive resorts? FL has the same. Some of these deaths are suspicious, and DR officials and hotel reps haven't exactly facilitated determinations of the causes of death. Not sure if it's incompetence or complicity, but what's the difference right now?
Go to the Caymans. Go to the Yucatan. Go somewhere that you do not run an elevated risk of dying a brutish death. Send the DR a message to take seriously the lives of Americans, even those of us whose idea of a vacation is to go somewhere and eat and drink like there's no tomorrow. Because if you go to the DR, there may not be one.
7
I am curious as to other foreign tourist deaths that have may have occurred at these popular resorts. That would be prudent I believe to include in this article which describes only American deaths. It may present a bigger picture or pattern. However, keep in mind millions of tourists visit these destinations who already may have medical issues and perhaps get exacerbated when gorging in these all you can eat and drink sessions. Either way a clearer picture needs to be developed to assuage the fears of would be tourists.
5
Ask Hard Rock Hotel and other resort owners what's going on. I believe it is some spraying they are doing. A warning to US with trump's dismantling of EPA - could happen here too!
9
I spent three weeks mostly off-the-grid in Peru consuming local food, fruits, and water, with my boots caked in dung and bugs swarming in the oppressive heat of the Amazon basin. My stomach was fine.
One week later, I went to an all-inclusive resort on D.R. (Bavaro) and had three days of diarrhea. I couldn't leave soon enough.
14
A cluster of hotel deaths in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2011 turned out to be due to pesticides used to get rid of bedbugs.
28
Big world. Lots of travel destinations. Dominican Republic permanently off my list. Common sense.
20
@Stan,
I'd add Mexico, the Bahamas and Jamaica to this list.
4
Just curious on why the reports only consists of US tourists dying. There are more Canadian vacationing in the island - no Canadian deaths or Europeans? Just wondering if the reports are overblown or exaggerated. There are more gun deaths in the US and the media is not reporting those. Why? Deaths from a year ago where being repeated over and over. I am planning to go ahead with our trip and be cautious - just like anywhere we go. Believe and analyze the news but read the whole story and not nitpick.
8
I just posted about a Canadian death I knew about that was very suspicious.
1
The resorts in question sound so tacky (bloated with booze, heart-clogging calories, and insipid activities) it’s hard generate any sympathy for those who travel thousands of miles specifically to look and act like ugly Americans.
10
If you go to Third World places, then you take Third World chances.
10
Commonsense removes the Dominican Republic from the travel scene immediately. In fact all of those poor countries in the Caribbean are dangerous for Americans starting with Cuba.
4
The DR relies on tourism for it's livelihood. Why would they just keep saying they all died of 'natural causes?' Do they know the definition of that term?
9
I mean... how much do you trust DR medical examiners?
It’ll be a long time before traveling to the DR seems like a safe proposition.
17
@Yr critic. Why would DR MEs be less trustworthy than those from the US?
4
@Yr critic probably as much as we are trusting trump administration examiners! trump is dismantling EPA so rapidly we will be back to no safeguards soon.
3
@MaggieBecause they lose their jobs if they tell the truth.
1
People have died.
That is not fake news.
We are told it is safe, is that the truth or fake news.
I'm done with anywhere south of the US boarder, middle east and Asia.
Out of control governments and corruption makes the US & trump look like amateurs.
9
@PNP actually owners of Hard Rock Hotel and other resorts need to be questioned - why aren't they stepping up to the plate?
5
Why on earth would anyone travel to a foreign country only to remain inside a caged, artificial environment? Given the high level of indulgence due to unlimited food and alcohol, these rooms are probably pumped full of toxic cleaning chemicals in between the constant turnover of tourists. It sounds like these "resorts" are no better than overcrowded pig pens at feeding time. No thanks.
84
@C. Holmes. Exactly. I hate inclusive resorts and cruise ships.
9
@C. Holmes "Given the high level of indulgence due to unlimited food and alcohol, these rooms are probably pumped full of toxic cleaning chemicals in between the constant turnover of tourists."
Forgive me, but I fail to see how food and alcohol justifies pumping toxic chemicals into rooms?
4
@C. Holmes Not the point, C. Suspicious deaths anywhere are grounds for, well, suspicion.
3
Hearing the Hard Rock Hotel refused to call an ambulance and then handed a bill to the widow is so upsetting. That will certainly cause me to take my business elsewhere. I'm not trying to be unsympathetic, just speaking in the only language they apparently understand: money.
48
International travel comes with risks. People aren't very good at assessing those risks or the impact of their presence. You should read Jamaica Kincaid's "A Small Place" for a brief but thoughtful primer. There's a point when Kincaid describes a tourist bus driving by the local hospital. None of the tourists stop to think this humble structure is the only hospital on Antigua. A fact which locals would prefer to forget.
Maybe it's me but I don't understand the appeal behind resort travel anyway. Why travel thousands of miles to a foreign country to get drunk by a pool? Chlorine tastes the same here as it does in the Caribbean. If I'm looking for thoughtless vacation, I can think of places closer to home.
Generally speaking though, we don't take thoughtless vacations anyway. If I were going to bother travelling to the Dominican Republic, I'd probably see about chartering a sail boat with a V-berth and some settee beds. Who wants to be around tourists all the time? I'll take a deck chair over a mini-bar any day. Just make sure you wear a life jacket if you plan to get drunk.
32
If one is traveling to another country where the resort is where you feel safe and secure ONLY, then that puts a caution on the thoughts of having a good time.
11
It's the Caribbean. Same as it ever was. Pay your money and take your chances.
1
In2017, two MLB players were killed on the same day in car accidents in the Dominican Republic. The roads there are referred to as “The Valley of Death” due to a lack of traffic laws and zero consequences for high speed drunk driving. The deaths of these players received extensive media coverage and are well documented. The complete lack of road safety and excessive drunk driving is reason alone not to visit as a tourist.
30
They are going into these rooms and spraying the beds to kill the bed bugs. They are using a compound way stronger than they should be. If they had a bed bug problem the hotel would have to shut down I don't know if anyone knows how bad a bed bug problem can become but I promise you this is the issue and they are taking a short cut to this problem but just poisoning the big and the humans that lay in the bed after. That is how they are being poisoned. I cant believe this hasn't been brought up yet.
50
@Mark not saying this is incorrect, but how did you come by this information?
3
@Mark
In a previous article, either in the Times or WSJ, mention was made of chemical smells coming from the vents.
Aside from not guzzling so much liquor, keep some windows open. An employee of ours vacationed in the DR last year, saying you cannot step out beyond the gates, period. How ordinary people live in such crime infested countries is a wonder. Not that they have much choice.
5
Complete autopsies of the stricken is necessary for anyone to believe these hotels/resorts are anywhere near safe. Denying the possibilities is just not going to work. And Billy Bob, give it a rest. You are not believable at all.
16
This is just my hypothesis, but my guess is to reduce costs and feed the immense demand for open bars and free flowing alcohol, the majority of these resorts turn to moonshine. People are getting sick and dying because they are drinking poison essentially. No idea how this is regulated, but would be interesting to see some investigative journalism on the topic.
32
@Todd C., This is also common in Mexico. Where they also tamper with the alcohol by adding toxic amounts of straight and strong alcohol. Many of these unsuspecting tourists drown in swimming pools.
8
@Todd C. As cf said, this has been happening in Mexico for a long time. A childhood friend of mine died several years ago at a Mexican resort after drinking alcohol tainted with methanol. There were no consequences for the resort, so people keep dying. I noticed that several of these reports from Dominican Republic stated that the deceased drank from the minibar before falling ill and dying, but failed to investigate that fact further; I do not think it is a coincidence.
8
There are reports of other issues with Caribbean resorts and uninterested police https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/10/30/sexual-assault-caribbean-islands/1809721002/
I think I'd pass for now
15
For them to say that these are all isolated cases is beyond the pale. We now have 10 dead people on one Island this is not a coincidence. Sounds like Legionnaires disease and their lack of urgency in getting to the bottom of these cases hopefully will put people off in visiting there.
13
Though it is worth investigating the possibility of poisoning by inadvertent contact with pesticides, etc., it also seems entirely plausible that Americans' poor health becomes more manifest when they go on vacation, especially when combined with a the ability to overindulge in food and drink, and perhaps also to engage in levels of physical activity they may not be accustomed to.
13
@Dan Frazier hard to explain the husband and wife simultaneously experiencing "poor health" and dying at the same time. That sounds a lot more like exposure to toxic chemicals.
67
@Dan Frazier regardless of anyone's poor health, delaying healthcare for an hour to somebody having a heart attack is bound to tip the scales
17
@Dan Frazier it is easier to "blame the victim" like you have and rationalize this will never happen to you. Not the case. I have frequented these DR resorts multiple times and the degree of concern raised by the other comment submissions are spot on for accuracy.
2
As always, perception and reality remain distant cousins for most people. Ignorance of math, cognitive biases, and gossip, now rebranded as social media, ensure this will continue.
3
@Bob Krantz....well said!
Probability, not chance, is the concept. If 2 million people are designated a 'set', the 'subset' of those expected to die in a particular period of time under circumstances as described can be calculated.
Actuary tables were devised to ensure insurance premiums exceeded death benefits!
I will not step foot in the DR after this.
34
@Mary A,
I will never set foot in Mexico or Jamaica either.
3
Vacationers SHOULD cancel.
While a number of friends who have planned vacation destinations in the DR say this is just media hype, I, for one, think something smells rotten, given the number of Americans by happenstance turning up dead, exposed to poisons in the vents, pesticides or suspect minibar drinks?
Plus David Ortiz's ordeal and that Delaware woman who was straight out pummeled and left for dead in the bowels of the Majestic Elegance resort, beaten by a staff worker.
This is not a go-to destination. It is unsafe. Sorry.
75
It’s not just these incidents! Reading through trip advisor or doing a google search will reveal that there have been many violent attacks on tourists within these resorts and no response but the management. One woman recently went public with her story, including gruesome photos of her experience where she was beaten and left for dead. The resort would not even help the husband search for her.
In room invasions seem to be not unusual as well. One woman FB live streamed the resort telling her not to report it to the police as the police station was closed after 5pm. Women traveling with women or alone are targeted by employees for harassment. A man wrote of being beaten over the head with baseball bats on his way back to his room from the casino, so employees could steal his winnings (same resort where woman was nearly beaten to death). No cameras, no arrests in any of these cases.
So many stories of weddings and other special occasions going awry due to widespread illness and hospitalizations.
It’s not just these deaths, it’s a culture of poorly run resorts with no focus on health and safety.
21
@Billy Bobby
You also couldn't pay me enough to live in NYC with all its two footed and four footed rats.
5
You should cancel your trips to Orlando as well because tourist die of heart attacks in Florida too. How can you overlook that none of the victims are under 50? Conspiracy theories are fun, but they are not reality. Of 2 million visitors, 2 violent crimes. Heck, I live in NY, I’ll take those odds.
31
Notice the pictures (in other reports) of the " minibars " in these Resorts ?
NOT sealed small bottles. Large, upside down bottles with rubber tubing for dispensing. Maybe, very cheap, local homemade " alcohol " is being mixed with the premium brands, with a poison special ingredient, like methanol. Toxicology, and ASAP.
Seriously.
46
Again, nobody under 50 in descent shape drinks from the minibar? Only older Americans with heart disease use the minibar. Are we not overlooking an obvious culprit and a raging problem in the US: drugs. I know plenty of people that think it is okay to do drugs when on vacation even if only once or twice a year. Let the FBI do its job, or are they part of the deep state now trying to protect the DR?
4
@Billy Bobby
Gee generalize much? Nobody under 50? Really. Not the people I know. And quite a few of them are well below the age you mention.
8
@Billy Bobby
Empirical question. Tox screens ought to give us the answer if drugs are involved. If done in a reputable lab that is.
4
Are only Americans dying? How about Canadians or Europeans?
38
@Simon
My exact response. I've read several articles about this and not one has addressed this question, which would provide some context.
15
@Simon, They do visit too, but not in the great numbers as Americans. The French are more likely to go to Guadeloupe and Dutch to Antigua. The package resort caters to Americans cruise ship mentality. Which 90% are US citizens. Or maybe they're just smarter and stay away.
4
@Simon Yes, there have been reports of
Canadians and Russians dying after a DR visit.
1
“Fake news”?
The Trump effect: when whatever info doesn’t comport with your version of “reality,” it’s “fake news.”
Lot’s of that nonsense going around these days.
34
Such is the state of journalism: a headline screaming "Crisis" and yet no facts to back up the assertion of an epidemic of tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic. Sound familiar?
At least the reporters were up-front in admitting that the cases involved a handful of people in poor health and, by all signs, no statistical uptick in deaths, although that didn't stop them (or their editors) from publishing.
16
thank you for being rational and applying reason. I noticed Disney only reports deaths on rides, not in parks or hotels. I wonder why?
8
@Alan Gambrell The NYT approached this story in a balanced and even manner.
In contrast, the New York Post has 128 stories in the last month about the D.R!, most about people dying or getting sick. https://nypost.com/search/dominican+republic/page/3/
1
@Alan Gambrell
It's a crisis for the DR, Alan, whether or not there is adequate proof.
3
From what I've seen and heard, there have been far fewer tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic this year than in previous years, yet they are getting far more media coverage. Is this a crisis of media hype or a medical one?
12
@Christy
It may be true that there is no statistical anomaly with the death rate of vacationing Americans, and the fact that the deaths discussed here all involved persons over the age of 50 should mitigate media reports and alarmism.
But the response of the hotel to it's guest's request for an ambulance, the bill for drs. services presented to the widow, and, as many others have cited here, the preposterous notion that a spouse died in response to seeing their spouse deceased, are also serious issues that should warrant consideration when deciding to visit another country.
The questions regarding mini-bar alcohol & pesticides can easily be addressed through toxicology testing
Something is still wrong and suspicious in a number of these deaths. I'm happy to hear American investigators are looking into this, and I look forward to their report.
9
Organo-Phosphate Poisoning.
That is what appears to be the cause of death, for the tourists in the Dominican Republic.
The alcohol in the mini bars seems to be the common thread, among all of the deaths.
The rapid onset of symptoms and death, suggests a very high level of poisoning.
Such a high level, would not be an accidental poisoning.
22
Thousands of young people go to the DR on vacation every year, thousands and thousands. Yet, they never drink from the minibar or get pesticide poisoning, only 50 year old, Americans with underlying heart disease are drinking the poisoned beverages. Please!!!!!
11
@Billy Bobby
You're absolutely correct Einstein. Thousands and thousands are not dying.
But dozens are.
Have you ever heard of deliberate"Product Tampering"?
It appears that someone has targeted these expensive resorts, where people with substantial means are vacationing.
Younger people with less finances, don't usually gravitate to the high end resorts.
But I suppose that you can believe the police explanation that all of these healthy middle age people had "heart attacks".
That's always a quick and easy way, to never open an investigation.
2
I wonder if a type of Legionnaires disease has been considered? It’s found in old and unmaintained air conditioning units.
10
Full disclosure, my wife is Dominican and I’ve been going to resorts and into the lovely mountains and cities in the DR for over 30 years. I love the country and the people who are ridiculously friendly. However, there is a reason why my wife emigrated to the US and comes back after every vacation, it’s a third world country. I’ve gotten very sick early on by drinking water, even at resorts, but I was young. Have you noticed that by far the fatalities are older Americans. Many young Americans, many, go with friends to party, yet they are not dying. Why? Because you have middle aged/older Tourists, changing their normal routines and eating and drinking too much, exerting themselves too much - swimming, sun, dancing, zip lining, paragliding, etc. when you have underlying health issues and you change your routine, bad things happen. I read somewhere most heart attacks happen on Monday after your weekend. Over 2 million Americans visit the DR every year. Of course some will be the victims of crime, car accidents (that is your real risk in DR), maybe even pesticides which they spray liberally, but let the FBI do its job and take advantage of the lower room rates, it’s going to be the health issues of victims, not some maid poisoning the minibar. Also, skip Punta Cana and go to Puerto Plata: it’s cheaper and prettier.
40
@Billy Bobby
I stayed in the DR for the first time 2 years ago, rented an apartment off of AirBnB. I'm not a resort kind of guy. Went surfing while my spouse went to the beach in the mornings.
First time I've vacationed surrounded by folks from Russia wherever I went. Really weird vibe too, the news about election interference had been breaking for a few months, and the folks I spoke too were pretty smug in their interactions. So that was different.
I preferred the atmosphere of Costa Rica, but I'll prolly head back to the DR after checking out Panama first.
3
@Billy Bobby
You make a good point. The cruise industry deals with this issue too. There's a reason every cruise ship has a morgue onboard. Also, one of the many warnings you get while onboarding is don't start a new exercise program while on the ship.
1
All inclusive can resemble fraternities in that they can encourage binge drinking. It has been my experience that some Americans and Canadians are particularly susceptible to this. European tourists drink alcohol as a part of a meal to enhance it. id like to see the all inclusive hotels (I own a Hard Rock and Palace Resort Timeshare) drop the all inclusive part for alcohol and make it a separate package Additionally, I can't stand the rowdy drunks that can spoil everyone else's beautiful vacation.
23
@Janet Robinson
Just curious, why did you buy a timeshare at a Hardrock property (famous for partying) if you want to avoid rowdiness?
16
So true, and don’t forget using drugs once or twice a year on vacation. Drugs are an epidemic in the US but nobody mentions it as a potential cause in these cases. Notice, no young people have been reported as a fatality. I doubt that is a coincidence.
2
How dumb is that discriminating between euro drinkers and American ones. Maybe u should try a more sobering realistic response. The business you are in is hardly savvy meditative or neutral to partying. You snooze you lose!!!
“I don’t know who’s behind this campaign, but if there’s someone behind it, they’ll become known,”
Interesting repossessed to deaths of visitors
I’m guessing the DR’s PR team are not an A team!
3
I recall reading about an American couple who died in an automobile crash under mysterious circumstances while heading to the airport in the Dominican Republic. That wasn’t mentioned here but traffic fatalities have also put a negative spotlight on this vacation destination.
10
Driving is your biggest risk in DR by far. I drive all over the country and you can’t drive at night. This couple headed to airport in early morning and you really need to be aware of drunk driving in DR as it is a very real problem, unlike the minibar.
5
@LB Yes, I recall this incident as well. So sad.
@Billy Bobby
Can't drive at night? Pass, Lol!
3
The symptoms described by the majority of the victims resemble those of poison by Parathion, a highly toxic pesticide. Lung congestion (pulmonary edema) and heart rhythm abnormalities. Not treated on time and aggressively is deadly. Easy to get contaminated: hands and clothes or any object already contaminated.
53
@Joseph Villalona Yes, yet weeks after the first few deaths we have ZERO information on any testing.
1
Looks like the tests selected were focused more on identifying what Mr Harrison might have done to himself rather than what the hotel might have done to him during his stay. A more thorough selection of tests might have helped identify what actually caused his death.
"But Bruce Goldberger, a professor of forensic toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, said he thought Mr. Harrison should have been tested for more than just cocaine, marijuana, opioids, and amphetamines, all of which were negative."
27
I noticed you missed the point of the other doctor pointing out the victim had heart disease. 2 million Americans go to DR every year and 10 have died. I would love to see statistics from other vacation destinations like Disney.
25
@Billy Bobby
Or death statistics for non-American visitors to the DR.
10