Five days before a Maryland couple vacationing in the Dominican Republic was found dead in their hotel room, a woman from Pennsylvania died in the same hotel.
Miranda Schaup-Werner collapsed on May 25 after consuming a drink from the minibar at the Grand Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana, according to Fox News and Pennsylvania TV station WFMZ.
Schaup-Werner, 41, was celebrating her ninth wedding anniversary with husband Dan Werner, family spokesperson Jay McDonald, her brother-in-law, told multiple news outlets.
“At one point, she was sitting there happily smiling and taking pictures and the next moment she was in acute pain and called out for Dan and she collapsed,” McDonald told WFMZ. “He was understandably in shock but the whole thing was just so stunning.”
The U.S. State Department confirmed her death to Fox News and ABC News.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the families for their loss. The U.S. Embassy is actively monitoring the investigations by Dominican authorities into these tragic deaths. We stand ready to provide assistance as requested,” a statement shared with Fox read. “The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the State Department for comment.
Previously: Maryland couple found dead in their hotel room in the Dominican Republic
And: Delaware woman recounts attack at Dominican Republic resort in viral post
Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, arrived at the Bahía Príncipe hotel since May 25, hotel complex director Francisco Romero told local media. After they missed their scheduled checkout time on Thursday, hotel staff entered the room and found both bodies unresponsive but no signs of violence, according to a statement from the hotel.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident at one of our hotels in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and want to express our deepest condolences to their family and friends,” the statement read. “The staff immediately contacted the relevant local authorities which have initiated an investigation.”
A spokesman for the Dominican Republic National Police told CNN blood pressure medication was also found in the room.
The couple’s bodies were transported to the Dominican National Institute of Forensic Sciences for an exam. An autopsy found they died of respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, which is caused by excess fluid in the lungs according to CNN.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg
A closer look: Incidents involving American tourists raise safety concerns about Dominican Republic
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