Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths: Long Island Man Latest On Growing List
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Another American death is being reported in the Dominican Republic, this time a man from Long Island.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS2 that Vittorio Caruso from Glen Cove, N.Y., died on vacation there this month, but his cause of death is unknown at this time.
Caruso's death comes just a day after the island's tourism minister said the rash of deaths is "not a mystery, and that most of the autopsies show the tourists died of natural causes."
The FBI has a team in the Dominican Republic investigating the American deaths.
On Friday, federal officials say the mysterious death of Queens mother Donette Edge Cannon while on a family vacation to the island is part of a disturbing trend in the Caribbean.
On the last day, Donette began complaining of severe stomach pains and started vomiting. Her family said she did have known health issues, but they don't know why she got sick to begin with.
Cannon died that same day at a local hospital. The cause was ruled as kidney failure, and her family says the hospital did not have a dialysis machine.
The family is wondering if her death was just the start of a bigger problem. On Friday, the U.S. State Department confirmed the death of three more Americans in the last three years, including Cannon's.
MORE: 2 More American Tourists Added To List Of Mysterious Deaths In Dominican Republic
Joseph Allen of New Jersey, died in the D.R. last week.
His cause of his death has not been released. Local autopsies concluded most of the other Americans died of alleged respiratory problems or heart attacks.
MORE: Staten Island Mother Becomes The Latest Person To Mysteriously Die In The Dominican Republic
In the case of a Staten Island woman vacationing on her own, Dominican officials claimed their toxicology machine was broken and no report would be filed.
Local officials also made the claim that another American tourist simply died of "shock" after seeing her husband die.
MORE: New York Woman Vomited Blood After Drink At Dominican Republic Resort Where 3 Americans Died
Lawmakers in the United States are calling on the State Department to raise the current travel alert status for tourists heading to the Caribbean island.
List Of Recent American Deaths In The Dominican Republic
- June 17, 2019: Vittorio Caruso, 56, from Glen Cove, N.Y.
Died after "drinking something," cause of death not officially determined. - June 13, 2019: Joseph Allen, 55, of Avenel, N.J.
Died at Terra Linda resort in Sosua, Dominican Republic. Cause of death yet to be officially determined. - June 10, 2019: Leyla Cox, 53, of Staten Island, N.Y.
Died at the Excellence Resorts in Punta Cana. Cause of death in DR ruled a heart attack. - May 30, 2019: Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, of Maryland.
Died at the Grand Bahia Principe in La Romana. DR officials ruled cause of death as respiratory failure, along with Cynthia Day. - May 30, 2019: Cynthia Day, 49, of Maryland.
Died at the Grand Bahia Principe in La Romana. DR officials ruled cause of death as respiratory failure, along with Nathaniel Holmes. - May 25, 2019: Miranda Schaup-Werner, 41, of Allentown, Pa.
Died at the Bahia Principe resort in La Romana. Cause of death ruled heart attack and respiratory failure. - March 27, 2019: Orlando Moore, 40, of Westchester County, N.Y.
Body recovered from the sea near San Souci on March 31, linked to a traffic crash on March 27 with Ravenelle. - March 27, 2019: Portia Ravenelle, 52, of Westchester County, N.Y.
Found alive on highway in DR, later died of injuries at a hospital, linked to a traffic crash on March 27 with Moore. - April 12, 2019: Robert Wallace, 67, of California.
Died at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana of a heart attack after being served a scotch at the bar. - April 2019: John Corcoran of Turlock, California
Death in DR reported by CNN through his sister, "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran. - July 2018: David Harrison of Maryland.
Died at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana of a heart attack. - June 2018: Yvette Monique Sport of Pennsylvania.
According to CNN reports, she died after drinking from her hotel room's mini-bar at the Bahia Principe in Punta Cana. - May 2018: Donette Edge Cannon of Queens, N.Y.
Died at hospital of kidney failure after stay in Punta Cana.
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