By: Staff Writer
May 24, 2022
Sandals Resorts have not released a statement on the revelation that the three tourists that died at their Exuma, Emerald Bay Resort had died from carbon monoxide poisoning from their air-conditioning units.
Poisoning was found to be the cause of death of three American tourists who were found at Sandals in Exuma earlier this month, Caribbean Magazine Plus understands from local reports
Reports detailing the cause of deaths of husband and wife Michael and Robbie Phillips along with Vincent Paul Chiarella are expected to be released in the coming days.
This comes after Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Paul Rolle told The Tribune on Monday that authorities received results from samples sent to a lab in Philadelphia.
The commissioner directed that those results be sent to the local pathologist.
Chiarella was traveling with his wife, but the two couples were not traveling together. They all went to a local clinic in the Bahamas after they told hotel staff they were feeling nausea. Then the next day, three of them were found unresponsive in their villas.
Investigators said no foul play was ever suspected.
Chiarella’s wife, Donnis, was flown to a south Florida hospital and is now in stable condition.
Investigators are still working to determine how the victims got carbon monoxide poisoning. Hotel guests allegedly reported smelling a strong odor, and investigators looked into a possible air conditioning or water heater leak. Still, at this point, they have no comment and are only confirming the cause of death.
Neighbours of the resort in Exuma have also told Caribbean Magazine Plus that the resort was in need of repairs and the repairs it was supposed to have underwent during the COVID-19 shutdown apparently was not comprehensive enough.
Sandals is known for scandals on its properties around the region, most notably, sexual assaults that span for some years now. But every time the resort chain, under its now deceased founder, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, got past the scandals and have moved on.
The resort chain also has a reputation for union busting and forcing massive closures of their properties as a way to influence local politics in the country they are operating in.