Three tourists have died at a five-star Sandals resort in the Bahamas after falling ill, authorities said.
Police are investigating after two men and a woman, who were US citizens, were found unconscious at the Sandals Emerald Bay resort on the island of Great Exuma on Friday.
Another woman was airlifted to hospital for treatment.
The cause of the deaths has not been confirmed, but a hotel guest suspected that an air conditioning failure had caused a “toxic refrigerant leak”.
Some guests had been treated at a clinic for nausea and vomiting the day before the deaths, Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville said.
One of the victims was named as Vincent Chiarella, of Birmingham, Alabama, who had been celebrating an anniversary with his wife Donnis.
Her son Austin told ABC News that the US embassy had contacted him and was able to speak with his mother, who was airlifted to a hospital in Florida.
He told ABC News: “She woke up and my dad was laying on the floor, and she couldn’t move.
“Her legs and arms were swollen and she couldn’t move and she screamed for someone to come through the door.”
Mrs. Chiarella fell ill Thursday but “thought she was fine” after she was released from the clinic, her son said.
“I’m so heartbroken right now,” Austin Chiarella said. “My dad was everything to me.”
One victim had been celebrating her anniversary in the Bahamas.
A message posted on the Facebook page of Chris Coucheron-Aamot, a guest at the Sandals resort, said Saturday that there was “crime scene tape and security guards around our unit.”
“It appears there may have been a fault with the unit’s air conditioning, causing a toxic refrigerant leak,” the message read.
“It was hard to sleep last night, every time the air conditioner came on it woke me up.”
‘Signs of seizure’
Bahamas Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the cause of the deaths “is still unknown” but was told “no foul play is suspected.”
Royal Bahamas Police said they had been alerted by staff at the Sandals resort that they had found an “unresponsive” man in a villa.
While traveling to the complex, officers were told that another man and woman had also been found unconscious in another villa.
The force said there were “no signs of trauma” and a local doctor declared that all were dead.
Initial investigations revealed that the man and woman found together, who were showing signs of seizures, had complained of illness the night before, police added.
Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death.
In a statement to Eyewitness News Bahamas, Sandals said that “it is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of three of our guests at Emerald Bay Resort.”
“A health emergency was initially reported and, following protocols, we immediately alerted emergency medical professionals and relevant local authorities to provide support and investigate the situation,” he said.
“We are actively working to support both the investigation and the families of the guests in any way possible during this difficult time.”
Reference-news.sky.com