Woman says husband died in Dominican Republic last year, similar to recent deaths of Americans there

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Dawn McCoy was preparing to mark the one year anniversary of her husband David Harrison's death on July 14th in the Dominican Republic because she feels his spirit is there. Now, she's canceled her trip because she was shocked to hear about the recent deaths of three other Americans in the country.

"When it came up that they died from the same exact thing as my husband I thought 'No, no.... there's no way two people could die of the same exact thing,'" said McCoy.

McCoy is talking about Nate Holmes and Cynthia Day. A newly-engaged couple from Prince George's County who were mysteriously found dead in their hotel room at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana on May 30.

Five days earlier at the same resort, a Pennsylvania woman -- Miranda Schupp-Werner -- collapsed and died.

The cause of death for all three -- respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs.

McCoy's husband's autopsy also blames pulmonary edema but references a heart attack as well.

"He just kept saying he didn't feel right... he didn't feel good," said McCoy.

McCoy says her husband, who was just 45 years old when he died, was in good health, but after feeling sick one night he woke up early in the morning unable to breathe. She says she called repeatedly for an ambulance but says they would only call for a doctor and it took more than 20 minutes.

She says she sympathizes with the other families. In fact, in an ironic twist, she went to Oxon Hill High School with Cynthia Day, but says they hadn't spoken in years.

FOX 5 learned Wednesday night that Day and her fiance felt sick the night before they died and called a doctor but declined medication because it was too costly.

McCoy says she's not surprised -- she stayed at a different resort but says in all it cost $20,000 dollars to get her husband home.

"The hotel doctor costed almost $3,000 and they would not let us check out until I paid that," said McCoy. "It's like a scab reopened."

McCoy had her husband cremated and is now regretting that she didn't get a second autopsy.

A lawyer for the families of the Brandywine couple say they plan to have second autopsies conducted in the U.S. once the remains arrive here.