Blood samples of Americans sent abroad for analysis
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle maintained yesterday that he will not speculate on the cause of death of three Americans at Sandals Emerald Bay resort on Exuma as authorities await the analysis of blood samples sent abroad, forensic reports, and autopsies.
According to Rolle, the samples were sent to a laboratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to expedite the results.
A pathology examination was expected to be performed.
Despite ranging theories circulating, the commissioner said: “I’m not going to speculate. We are a professional organization, and I have the utmost respect for our forensic scientists”.
Those forensic scientists collected samples from both of the villas and Sandals’ property, according to Rolle, to determine “whether or not any contaminants [were] present”.
“In the meantime, we ask that you rely on official updates, which we will seek to provide in a timely manner,” he said during a virtual press conference attended by relatives of the deceased and local and international media.
“We are making arrangements to help all of the victims’ properties.
“And I can say that the pathologist has consented to doing those autopsies today.
“We will not have answers on those until I get feedback from the pathologist, hopefully later on today or whenever it’s available that we will make it available to you, perhaps through a press release.”
According to Rolle, the samples were sent to a laboratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to expedite the results.
He said the laboratory personnel will work in conjunction with Bahamian pathologists, whom he expressed confidence in as internationally trained professionals, to produce the pathology report.
Bahamian scientists were expected to travel to Pennsylvania yesterday or today, Rolle said.
He said the results could take seven days.
The commissioner said with those results in hand, it could take “another couple of weeks” for the doctor to complete the pathology report.
Rolle also said he has seen a lot of misinformation in the public sphere, but the investigation must follow due diligence to determine the outcome.
He said he had updated the families and Bahamian authorities will continue to provide them and the media with the facts as they become available.
Families of deceased guests
In yesterday’s press conference, facilitated virtually, was Austin Chiarello, the son of Vincent Paul Chiarello, 65 and his wife Donnis, who is 64, the sole survivor.
She was airlifted to a medical facility in Florida in “serious condition”, according to Rolle.
Minister of Health and Wellness told Eyewitness News on Saturday she was in stable condition at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The cause of her condition deteriorating was not made available.
Meanwhile, Paul Fountain Berry, a relative of Tennessee residents Robbie Phillips, 65, and Michael Phillips, 68, both of whom died in a villa on the grounds was also in today’s press conference.
Rolle said police have obtained information on the guests’ check-in time, though he was not inclined to release it.
He maintained that each of the guests’ reported feeling ill and were seen by medics around 11pm on Thursday evening, leading police to believe they died between 11.30pm and 8.30am Friday morning.
Asked if he was aware of any other guests experiencing similar symptoms at the resort, Rolle said he did not.
Eyewitness News was first on the ground on Saturday and attempted to access Sandals, but were not permitted on the property, while attempts to speak with the general manager were unsuccessful.
Responding to theories surrounding the air conditioning unit and a potential gas leak, Rolle said: “We have collected several samples from the premises there and the forensic examination and should be able to help us to determine what type of whether or not there was a chemical or whatever it was. We are hoping that that will be able to answer for us.”
According to Rolle, a coroner’s inquest will also be held.
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