An Orange County couple whose bodies were found inside their hotel room at a resort in Baja California Sur, Mexico told family members in the days before their deaths that they felt sick and even went to the hospital
The Americans are identified as 41-year-old John Heathco and 22-year-old Abby Lutz, of Newport Beach.
Lutz’s family says she worked as a nanny and she and her boyfriend loved to travel. But Lutz felt sick as soon as the couple arrived at the Rancho Pescadero resort and even went to the hospital, family members said.
"They spent the night getting IVs and things, and then they felt better," said Racquel Lutz, Abby's Lutz's step-mother. "And then they went back to the hotel and spent the day at the pool."
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Abby texted family members and said she felt a 'million times better,' her step-mother said. She later texted her father Monday night to say good night and that she loved him
"We didn’t hear back from her until we were notified by the state department yesterday morning," Raquel Lutz said.
According to police in Mexico, paramedics found the couple dead in their hotel room. The suspected cause of death is inhalation of gas.
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"Out of an abundance of caution and respect for the families and all of those affected, we are refraining from speculation about the cause," Hyatt, which owns the resort, said in a statement.
There have been several cases of resort deaths in Mexico caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to Heathco's LinkedIn page, he is the founder of Newport Beach-based LES Labs, a nutritional supplement manufacturer. Lutz's Facebook page states that she lived in Ladera Ranch and was working as a nanny.
A GoFundMe page established on behalf of Lutz's family contends the couple may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Abby and her boyfriend thought they had food poisoning and went to the hospital to get treatment,'' Lutz's step-sister, Gabrielle Slate, wrote on the page. "We were told they were feeling much better a few days later. We received a phone call saying that they had passed away peacefully in their hotel room in their sleep. We have been told it was due to improper venting of the resort and could be carbon monoxide poisoning. Abby was supposed to meet up with her dad this week for Father's Day and all of this is completely unexpected.''
