What killed 3 tourists at Bahamas resort? Florida woman airlifted to Miami-area hospital
A 64-year-old man from Florida is one of three American tourists found dead inside their rooms at a luxury Sandals resort in the Bahamas shortly after they fell ill, police said. The man’s wife was airlifted to a South Florida hospital for treatment as investigators work to figure out what led to the deaths.
Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Paul Rolle, in a Monday afternoon news conference, identified the four tourists and said a toxicology report would be completed in a lab in the United States.
Those who died: Michael Phillips, 68 and his wife Robbie Phillips, 65, from Tennessee, and Vincent Paul Chiarella, 64, of Florida.
Vincent Chiarella’s wife, Donnis, 65, was taken to a hospital in Nassau and was then airlifted to a hospital in South Florida, where Rolle said she was in serious condition. The couple’s son told ABC News his mom was taken to Kendall Regional Hospital in Miami-Dade County. A search of property records shows the couple own a home in Panama City Beach.
The tragedy began Friday morning, when police were notified by hotel staff that three bodies were found in two villas at a resort on Great Exuma, according to the police force. Sandals Resort confirmed in an emailed statement that the tourists were found dead at the all-inclusive adults-only Sandals Emerald Bay Resort.
In the first villa, officers found a dead man on the ground in a bedroom with “no signs of trauma,” police said. In the other villa, they found a dead man slumped against a wall in a bathroom and a dead woman on the bed, police said.
“Both individuals showed signs of convulsion. The officers examined the bodies and found no signs of trauma,” according to a police news release.
During the investigation, police learned that all four had fallen ill Thursday and had gone to the clinic, at different times, to get treatment, Rolle said. They had eaten at different places, he said.
Rolle declined to give specifics on when the couples had checked in to the resort, what symptoms they had, if the symptoms were the same or what the doctor’s diagnosis was. He said the time frame of events occurred between 11 p.m. Thursday and 8:39 a.m. Friday and that forensic scientists have obtained samples from the bodies and their rooms to determine if any contaminants were present.
Dr. Michael Darville, the island’s health minister, has previously said that the tourists went to the clinic for various symptoms, including nausea and vomiting.
Austin Chiarella, the son of Vincent and Donnis Chiarella, told ABC News his parents were celebrating their anniversary in the Bahamas.
“She woke up and my dad was laying there on the floor, and she couldn’t move,” he told the network. “Her legs and arms was swollen and she couldn’t move and she screamed to get someone to come in the door.”
“A health emergency was initially reported and following our protocols we immediately alerted emergency medical professionals and relevant local authorities,” Sandals Resorts said in an emailed statement. “We are actively working to support both the investigation as well as the guests’ families in every way possible during this difficult time. Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, we cannot disclose further information at this time.”
Police said a medical examiner will perform autopsies to determine cause of death.
Miami Herald staff writer Carli Teproff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 10:24 AM.
