Dominican tourism official reacts to US tourist deaths
U.S. and Dominican authorities investigating whether tainted alcohol may be to blame for recent deaths.
An Argentinian teen who was hospitalized in the Dominican Republic after falling into a coma while on vacation has woken up, according to media reports.
Candela Saccone, 15, was scheduled to leave the Carribean island on June 19 when she fell ill from a life-threatening diabetic condition while staying at a Punta Cana resort, Argentine news outlet Cronica reported. After several days in a coma, she was eventually taken off a ventilator once her health improved.
TOXICOLOGIST SAYS A COLORLESS, ODORLESS 'INTOXICANT' COULD BECAUSE OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DEATHS
Candela Saccone, 15, has been hospitalized in the Dominican Republic since June 19 after she became ill while on vacation. (Facebook)
“When they told us that she said a few words and got annoyed when they spoke to her, I said, ‘That’s my granddaughter!'” Saccone's grandmother, Mónica Zanollo, told the outlet.
The New York Post reported the girl began experiencing symptoms of dizziness, vomiting and dehydration on the day she became sick. She was taken to a hospital and transferred to another in the capital of Santo Domingo.
A few days later, she slowly began to improve, Cronica reported.
“This breakthrough means that the doctors are doing things well and the progress is very important for us,” Zanollo said. “The truth is that the hospital staff has taken excellent care of the family, both at a medical level and at a human level.”
The teen's family said they hope to bring her back to Argentina when she becomes stable.
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The health scare comes as the Carribean nation grapples with a slew of at least 12 American tourist deaths at resort areas and reports of visitors feeling mysteriously ill. The crisis has negatively impacted the country's bread and butter tourism industry.
Flights to the island have plummeted 74 percent since reports of the deaths surfaced.
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