State Department monitoring probe into 3 Americans found dead in Bahamas

After the mysterious death of three Americans at an island resort in the Bahamas over the weekend, the State Department said it is monitoring a local police investigation into what happened.

The American tourists — two men and one woman — were found dead Friday inside two separate villas at the Sandals Resort on the Bahamian island of Exuma, according to a press release from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).

They all appeared to die from an illness, as there was no indication of physical trauma, police reported.

A fourth person, an American woman, also fell ill and was airlifted to a hospital, according to a statement from the Bahamian prime minister’s office.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the deaths to The Hill and said it was monitoring the police investigation into the incident.

“We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time,” a spokesperson said in an email.

Local police said they responded around 9 a.m. on Friday after a staff member at the Sandals Resort reported an American male tourist was found unresponsive in his villa.

Police found the man in his bedroom, lying on the ground. There were no signs of physical trauma.

A male and female were found in a separate villa, the male “slumped against a wall in a bathroom unresponsive” and the female unresponsive on a bed, according to the RBPF. Both showed signs of convulsion.

“Our initial investigations revealed that the couple found in the second villa complained of illness the previous evening,” the RBPF release read.

The deaths remain under investigation, and police are awaiting the results of a coroner’s report to determine the cause.