A tragic incident occurred recently at the Hotel Rancho Pescadero in El Pescadero, Baja California Sur, Mexico, where two Americans were found dead in their luxury hotel room. John Heathco, 41, and Abby Lutz, 28, both from Newport Beach, California, were found by police and paramedics with no vital signs.
According to the Baja California Sur Attorney General’s office, the cause of death was “intoxication by substance to be determined.” Autopsies have revealed that the couple died of “intoxication by an undetermined substance,” and the bodies bore no signs of violence.
The hotel staff initially didn’t believe that the cause of death was related to any issues with the hotel’s infrastructure or facilities, including carbon monoxide or a gas of any kind. The authorities are still investigating the exact cause of death.
The family of Lutz said in a statement that days before their deaths, the couple was treated for what they thought was food poisoning. They spent Sunday night in a Mexican hospital where they were treated for dehydration. On Monday, they were back at their hotel. Lutz’s stepsister, Gabby Slate, said that Monday night was the last time the family heard from her.
The Rancho Pescadero is a luxury hotel and a Hyatt property. Its general manager, Henar Gil, offered his condolences to the victims’ families, saying, “This is a shocking and unimaginable situation, and we are committed to supporting and treating them with understanding and compassion.”
This tragedy is not an isolated incident in Mexico. There have been several cases of such deaths due to poisoning by carbon monoxide or other gases. Proper gas line installations, vents, and monitoring devices are often lacking for water heaters and stoves in the country.
Our hearts go out to the families of the victims during this very difficult time. We hope that authorities will find the exact cause of death soon and that measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.
References
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-wife-public-defender-died-mexico-resort-speaks/story?id=96951427
- https://amp-static.cbsnews.com/amp/embed/video/?feature%5Bconsent%5D=0&setDevice=mobile&v=23da2bed74e9783333cf303fba619e891686921047&uspri
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-americans-dead-mexico-hotel-room-baja-california-sur/
- https://abc7.com/video/embed/?pid=13390205
- https://abc7.com/video/embed/?pid=13390202
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/transportation-and-funeral-costs-for-our-abby
