The five-star Sandals Emerald Bay hotel on the island of Great Exuma, in the Bahamas, is a popular holiday spot for many Brits (Picture: Sandals Resorts)
Sandals Emerald Bay resort guests have started to speculate what could have caused the death of three people, with holidaymaker suggesting it could have been ‘faulty air-con’.
Mystery surrounds the deaths of two men and a woman who were found unresponsive at the five-star hotel in the Bahamas on Friday.
One of the victims has been named as Vincent Chiarella, of Birmingham, in the US state of Alabama, who was celebrating his anniversary with wife Donnis, ABC News reported.
Their son Austin Chiarella told the network his mum, who also fell ill, was airlifted to Kendall Regional facility in Florida for further medical treatment.
‘She woke up and my dad was laying there on the floor, and she couldn’t move,’ he said after speaking to his mum on Saturday morning.
‘Her legs and arms were swollen and she couldn’t move and she screamed to get someone to come in the door.’
He added: ‘I am just so heartbroken right now. My dad was everything to me.’
Chris Coucheron-Aamot, who was also at Sandals Emerald Bay at the same time as the three deceased guests (Picture: Chris Coucheron-Aamot/Facebook)
The names of the rest of the victims have not been disclosed yet and the police investigation remains ongoing.
Meanwhile, a guest at the Sandals’ hotel has shared his shocking testimony on Facebook of what happened, including his theory it could have been a problem with the air-con unit, the Daily Mail reported.
‘Three of our neighbors in the building right next to us died and a fourth was airlifted in critical condition early yesterday,’ a post by Chris Coucheron-Aamot, who is currently vacationing at the Sandals’ resort, reads.
‘It sounds like it may have been a fault with the A/C in the unit, causing a toxic coolant leak.
‘It was hard to sleep last night. Every time the A/C came on, I woke up.
‘We are continuing our vacation because that’s what I would want people to do if I were the one to have been the one who died – celebrating my life by living yours to the fullest.
‘That said, our hearts are out with those who grieve. May God have mercy on them and us.’
He claims their deaths may have been caused by a toxic air-con leak (Picture: Chris Coucheron-Aamot/Facebook)
Hotel staff called authorities around 9 am on Friday after a man had been found unresponsive in one of the beachfront villas, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement shared by Our News.
Police also discovered another man against a bathroom wall and a woman laying on a bed at another villa.
The couple complained of feeling nauseous and were vomiting the previous night, and had been treated at a medical centre nearby before returning to Sandals.
All three were pronounced dead by a local doctor at the scene, it was confirmed.
Acting prime minister Chester Cooper said police are looking into the incident, adding that the cause of death was unknown, though foul play ‘is not suspected’.
Health minister Dr Michael Darville also told Eyewitness News an investigation is underway to ensure there was not a public health hazard.
A spokesperson for Sandals said they are working to support both the investigation as well as the guests.
‘Nothing is more important to Sandals Resorts than the safety of our guests,’ a statement added.
‘Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, we cannot disclose further information at this time.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for more information.
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