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Barbara Corcoran, a star of the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” told TMZ that her brother recently died while vacationing at a resort in the Dominican Republic -- one of several American tourists to sustain fatal or serious injuries there.
But other family members soon came forward to stress that his death appeared to be from natural causes and was unrelated to the other deaths.
Barbara Corcoran said officials informed the family that John Corcoran, 64, who owned Statewide Roofing and Siding in Edgewater, suffered a heart attack while vacationing in the country in April.
No autopsy was conducted, the report says.
But John Corcoran's daughter, Nicole Lande, said the family is sure there was nothing suspicious about her father's death.
“My father had a heart condition,” Lande told PEOPLE magazine, “so his death didn’t come as a complete shock to us. Obviously, we didn’t expect him to die, and we are devastated. But it’s just a coincidence that it happened in the Dominican Republic like those other deaths.”
In addition to Corcoran, at least six American tourists have died in the Dominican Republic the past year, The New York Times reported.
Others reported serious illnesses.
Four of those who died were staying at Bahia Principe resorts. Several had alcoholic drinks shortly before their deaths.
The deceased include a 41-year-old woman from Pennsylvania and a Maryland couple who were found dead in their hotel room.
It is not yet known whether the six deaths are related. The results of toxicology tests won’t be ready for about a month.
However, the FBI has launched a joint investigation with local authorities in the Dominican Republic, NPR reported Wednesday.
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