Paramedics who entered the Mexican hotel room where an American couple were mysteriously found dead said they began to feel dizzy almost immediately and feared they were dying.
Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were discovered unresponsive in their hotel room at the five-star, $780-a-night Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday.
Paramedic Fernando Valencia and his companion, who was his sister, says ABC they were among the first to enter the couple’s bedroom where Heathco was found in the shower and Lutz in bed.
Their comments come after it was revealed the couple had been hospitalized days before their deaths with what they thought was food poisoning.
The boutique hotel, which is owned by Hyatt, disputed suggestions that there may have been a gas leak, saying in a statement that it does not believe the cause of death was related to issues with the hotel infrastructure or facilities, including carbon monoxide or any gas.’
Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were discovered unresponsive in their hotel room at the five-star, $780-a-night Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas.
Paramedic Fernando Valencia said he and his partner felt dizzy minutes after entering the couple’s hotel room and thought they might die.
Fernando Valencia and his sister are pictured. They were among the first two to enter the hotel room
“My partner and I started to feel dizzy and walked out. We got out of the room as soon as possible and I was scared for my partner because my first thought in mind was we were going to die? Fernando told Good Morning America on ABC.
He and his sister were so worried that they sought treatment themselves.
“It was one of the worst experiences I’ve had,” he said.
Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the Pacific Ocean village of El Pescadero on the Baja California Peninsula.
Heathco and Lutz had been dead for about 10 or 11 hours and when they were found there was no sign they were fighting.
The Baja California Sur state attorney general’s office said in a statement Thursday that the cause of death was “intoxication with a substance to be determined.”
Lutz’s family said she texted her father the day before he died, saying she felt ill and went to the hospital.
“She had texted her father and told him the same thing, that she was feeling sick and that she had gone to the hospital, that she had been on an IV overnight and that she felt so better,” her mother-in-law told ABC.
“She texted him on Monday night to say good night, I love you, and then we didn’t hear from her again,” she added.
Her half-sister, Gabby Slate, said the family now wanted answers: “We want to know exactly what happened and we don’t know yet.”
The couple were staying at the $780-a-night Rancho Pescadero hotel in El Pescadero, near Cabo San Lucas
The Rancho Pescadero Hotel is located in the village of El Pescadero, by the Pacific Ocean on the Baja California Peninsula.
Lutz’s family said they now want answers about what led to his death at the hotel. The hotel manager said he did not believe there was a gas leak, but the AG’s office said there was an unidentified intoxicant involved.
Abby, 28, with her younger brother, who paid tribute to her on Thursday
In a statement, her sister told DailyMail.com: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of our beloved Abby. Abby had an adventurous spirit and a wonderfully kind heart.
“She loved to travel, see new places and share her zeal for life with those around her. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family during this very difficult time.
‘In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to GoFundMe to help us get Abby to rest.
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, stomach pain, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.
They can often be described as “flu-like,” according to the CDC. People who sleep, however, can die from carbon monoxide poisoning before they show symptoms.
