A vacationing New Jersey man died in the Dominican Republic after he was discovered in his hotel room incapacitated — and his family says his case was “eerily” similar to other recent tourist deaths on the island.
Richard Johnson, 85, was in “great health” when he embarked on a five-day vacation to the Iberostar Punta Cana to meet up with friends, his family told The Post on Wednesday.
But when he missed his Jan. 31 flight, Johnson was discovered extremely ill by hotel staffers in his room.
“He was so sick that he was unable to leave his room,” his nephew, Clinton Johnson, told The Post.
“It was a strange occurrence,” Clinton said. “He was extremely healthy, particularly for his age.”
The Ocean, NJ, resident was brought to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with internal bleeding and an ulcer.
His nephew rushed to be by his side but within days, on Feb. 5, he died of respiratory failure.
Clinton said that his uncle didn’t previously suffer from an ulcer or other serious medical issues — and now he second-guesses that diagnosis in the wake of a series of tourists dying on the island.
“It just seems so odd that someone healthy would be in that state with something that severe,” Clinton told The Post.
The family is concerned about the possibility that Richard was the victim of tainted alcohol as authorities investigate whether resort liquors were to blame for recent cases.
“He absolutely was a drinker so him drinking in the Dominican is almost a certainty,” his nephew said, adding that his own “skepticisms grew” with news of other guests who drank becoming fatally sick.
“It made me think this is not a longshot if he hadn’t gone to the Dominican Republic, would this have happened?” Clinton told The Post.
Requests for comment from Iberostar Punta Cana weren’t immediately returned.
The retired man’s case marks the 37th American death reported out of the island nation since January 2018. At least 17 cases have involved tourists who fell ill and died while staying at one of the country’s various resorts.
