EXUMA, The Bahamas — Investigators on Tuesday revealed what killed a Maryville couple and Florida man at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas in May: carbon monoxide.
In a statement to NBC News, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said the three victims died from asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Two of the victims, Robbie Phillips, 65, and Mike Phillips, 68, were from Maryville. Police Chief Paul Rolle said the husband and wife were staying in a villa on the premises of the Sandals Emerald Bay resort in Exuma. Police identified the third victim as Vincent Chiarella, 64, from Florida.
Chiarella's wife, Donnis Chiarella, was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition. The hospital, HCA Florida Kendall in Miami, later said her health had been upgraded to “fair condition,” NBC Miami reported. Her current condition was not immediately known.
Police said they are still investigating the deadly incident.
Police said one of the couples went to a clinic on May 5 around 11 p.m. with nausea and vomiting, were treated and left. Authorities later found Robbie Phillips, Mike Phillips and Vincent Chiarella dead on May 6.
Several weeks after the incident, Sandals Resort Emerald Bay said it was installing carbon monoxide detectors in all guest rooms, saying the same was being done at other Sandals resorts. At the time, authorities did not provide what led to the deaths.
NBC News said a spokesperson for Sandals did not directly respond to a question on whether the villas had been equipped with carbon monoxide detectors at the time of the deadly incident. The spokesperson said the company has "fully supported the investigation into this event to ensure we are doing everything possible to learn from it."
According to their website, Robbie Phillips owned "The Sand Lady," a travel company in Maryville that specialized in vacations at Sandals Resorts. The two had three children and six grandchildren.
The couple's daughter, Kali Hanson, gave the following statement after their deaths:
"Our hearts are grieving and broken but full of hope. We know our mom and dad are experiencing fullness of joy in our heavenly Father's presence. We already miss them terribly. Our parents left a legacy of faith in Jesus and generously loved their family and friends. Thank you for respecting our family's privacy at this time."