Khalid Adkins is now the ninth American to die after visiting the Dominican Republic this year.
What We Know:
- Colorado station KDVR-TV first reported that Adkins had to disembark a flight back to his hometown of Denver, Colorado after being too sick to fly.
- His sister-in-law, Marla Strick, stated that after Adkins was hospitalized in Santo Domingo, he was told his kidneys were failing.
- Adkins’ relatives told the New York Post, after Adkins was taken off the plane he “spent the past three days there in critical condition — vomiting, alone and screaming in pain in a hospital bed.”
- His family is still unsure of what caused his untimely death and an autopsy is being done in the Dominican Republic.
- All of the American deaths reported had similar experiences of complaining of feeling sick after eating a meal or drinking out of hotel minibars. However, the U.S. embassy in Santo Domingo said there is no proof the deaths are linked.
- Despite these reports, César Duverany, a spokesperson for the Dominican Republic’s foreign ministry, states that this does not mean the country is unsafe. These cases are isolated out of more than 6 million tourists.
- Adkins is one of four Americans to die after visiting the country this month.
The other deaths include Vittorio Caruso (June 17; had been splitting time between the U.S and Dominican Republic for nine years), Joseph Allen (June 13), and Leyla Cox (June 10).
