9th Dominican Republic death: Retired Ohio police officer died while traveling with wife, family says
Another American has died during a stay in the Dominican Republic, this time a retired police officer who died earlier this year, according to family.
Thomas Jerome "Jerry" Curran was a 78-year-old from Bedford, Ohio, according to his family. He passed away on January 26, 2019, while traveling with his wife, Janet, ABC News reports.
The U.S. State Department confirmed on Wednesday that another death had been reported.
"We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in January 2019 in the Dominican Republic," the department said in a statement to ABC News. "We offer our sincerest condolences to the family for their loss. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we do not have additional information to provide."
The death is the ninth confirmed case in about the past 12 months of U.S. citizens dying in the Dominican Republic.
Earlier this week, family confirmed that Joseph Allen from New Jersey had been found dead in his hotel on June 13. His sister told ABC he was in the country celebrating a friend's birthday.
Allen, 55, of Avenel, New Jersey, was found dead in his hotel room at Terra Linda in Sosua on the morning of June 13, his sister confirmed to ABC.
Friends told Reed that Allen "complained about being hot at the pool. He said he was going to his room to take a shower. When his friends came back, he said he wasn't feeling 100% again, and said he was going to lie down for the night. The next morning his friend said he hadn't heard from Joe before breakfast, so he knocked on his door and there was no response."
That's when the friend said he called down to the hotel front desk for a wellness check.
"They found him on the floor," Reed said. "He had been there for a while. Rigor mortis had set in, and he was cold."
She described her brother as "for the most part healthy" with no pertinent health issues.
Allen was a frequent tourist to the area, visiting multiple times a year. His sister says she didn't think much about his trip, despite the recent deaths.
"We didn't think anything of it, because he does this all the time," she said.
RELATED: Timeline of American deaths in the Dominican Republic
In the first reported death, Yvette Monique Sport died at Bahia Principe Bouganville Hotel in June 2018. A heart attack is listed as her cause of death.
Nearly one month later, David Harrison died at the Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana. His death was also ruled a heart attack.
On April 13, 2019, Robert Wallace was hospitalized after suddenly becoming ill at the same Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana. He died the next day.
Miranda Schaup-Werner died at the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville on May 25.
Days later, Edward Nathaniel Holmes and his fiancee Cynthia Ann Day were found dead in their hotel room at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana. In both cases, the cause of death was listed as respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.
Both hotels are in the same Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts complex.
On June 10, Leyla Cox died while vacationing at the Excellence Punta Cana resort. Her cause of death was given as a heart attack.
Three days later, Allen was found dead in his hotel room at Terra Linda in Sosua.
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