For the second time in less than a week, another American was found dead inside of a Dominican Republic hotel.
Shortly after arriving on the Caribbean island on May 25, Miranda Schaup-Werner collapsed and died in her hotel room at Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana, Fox News reports.
The Allentown, Pennsylvania psychotherapist, 41, had just checked into her room with husband Daniel Werner and was looking forward to a relaxing trip to celebrate their 9th wedding anniversary, but the couple sadly never got the chance to do so.
Now, Miranda’s family are searching for answers as just five days after her sudden death, an engaged couple from Maryland were found dead in their room at the same hotel.
“Daniel and all of us are in a state of disbelief, we are shocked. She was perfectly content, everything seemed fine,” Jay McDonald, Daniel’s brother-in-law, told Fox News. “It was, at first, a little confusing that there was such a strong parallel… it immediately caused serious concern for us.”
Speaking to the outlet, McDonald said Miranda and Daniel planned to spend five days in the Dominican Republic and seemed to be pleased by the island and resort from the minute they arrived.
“They enjoyed vacationing in that part of the world, in the Caribbean,” he told the outlet. “They arrived on May 25 on Saturday. They really seemed to enjoy the place. If you see the photos and the way they were presented, clearly they were very happy to be there.”
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As they were getting situated in their hotel room, McDonald said Miranda “decided to relax with a drink from the minibar” and mixed a bottle of alcohol with a soda. But less than an hour later, things took a turn for the worst.
“Suddenly, she called out to Dan and he came right over and she was unable to breathe. She collapsed, she couldn’t communicate,” he recalled to Fox News. “He did his best to try and resuscitate, to help her.”
After attempting CPR, Daniel called for help. After paramedics arrived, they administered an epinephrine injection, typically used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions. Despite their efforts, Miranda was declared dead soon after.
“It was very sudden,” he noted. “ said one moment taking pictures, smiling, happy and the next moment, in extreme pain and collapsing… she had no known health issues that I knew of.”
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While Miranda’s family was dealing with her “bizarre, mysterious” death, McDonald said they learned that Edward Nathaniel Holmes and Cynthia Ann Day, a couple from Maryland, had also died at the same hotel just five days after Miranda.
After missing their scheduled check out on May 30, the pair was found unresponsive by hotel staff in their room, with no signs of violence.
McDonald noted that Miranda’s cause of death — respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, or fluid accumulation in the lungs — were also listed as the cause of death for the Holmes and Day.
“That was beyond coincidence,” McDonald told Fox News. “They died five days after, and the cause was determined to be the same, this just puts this whole thing through the stratosphere — something is going on, and we want to know what it is.”
On Tuesday, the U.S. State Department confirmed the three Americans tourists’ deaths to PEOPLE.
“We can confirm the recent deaths of three U.S. citizens in La Romana, the Dominican Republic – Nathaniel Edward Holmes, Cynthia Ann Day, and Miranda Schaup-Werner. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families for their loss,” a Department of State Official wrote.
“The U.S. Embassy is actively monitoring the investigations by Dominican authorities into these tragic deaths. We stand ready to provide assistance as requested,” they added.
Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana also confirmed Miranda’s death in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“Mrs. Schaup Werner, who was a guest of Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville, was found unresponsive in her room on May 25,” the statement said. “Following established protocols, the hotel doctor responded immediately and coordinated her transfer to Hospiten Santo Domingo. Unfortunately, Mrs. Schaup passed away in the room prior.”
“In the days that followed, we provided our complete support to Mr. Werner in collaboration with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy,” the hotel added. “We are deeply saddened by this situation and express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.”
Representatives at Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Now, with more than a week since Miranda’s passing, McDonald told Fox News the family is struggling to grasp what happened but is also remaining determined to find answers.
He also explained that the family has been in contact with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, as they work to have Miranda’s body returned to the country this week.
“ wants his wife’s body home,” he told the outlet. “We want to be done domestically.”
Added McDonald: “It’s very hard to see my brother-in-law have to go through this and I don’t want this to get brushed under the rug. I don’t want to see it happen to anyone else.”
from PEOPLE.com http://bit.ly/2QLdfVm
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