The luxury resort in Mexico where a couple died in their room has closed down as an investigation continues.
“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of guests and colleagues and the property will not resume normal operations until our investigation is complete,” the company said in its statement.
Hyatt did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
While authorities have not yet released the cause of Heathco and Lutz’s deaths, Lutz’s stepsister Gabrielle Slate wrote on aGoFundMepage to raise funds for her funeral that the family received a phone call saying the couple “passed away peacefully in their hotel room in their sleep” and that their deaths were “due to improper venting of the resort and could be Carbon monoxide poisoning.”
Local police initially said gas inhalation was to blame for the couple’s death, according to theAssociated Press.
Ricardo Carbajal, who worked as a manager at Rancho Pescadero until March, claimed to theLos Angeles Timesthat the hotel’s carbon monoxide detectors rang for three months last year signaling a possible gas leak, but he said that management disconnected them in January after several guests complained.
“They knew there were problems with gas leaks,” said Carbajal. “Everyone was aware of the alarms and that the detectors were off.”
“Housekeepers reported gas leaks, security reported gas leaks, maintenance workers reported gas leaks,” another employee told the publication, noting that a housekeeper cleaning their room fell ill prior to their stay due to suspected gas poisoning.
Paramedics who responded to the incident and entered the room where the couple were found dead also reported feeling “intoxication symptoms such as hypoxia and racing heartbeat” and left the scene because they felt unsafe, according toABC News.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“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,” they said.
source: people.com
