'Shark Tank' star Barbara Corcoran's brother is 7th American tourist to have died in the Dominican Republic
Shark Tank star and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran's brother, John Corcoran, died of an alleged heart attack in April while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. A representative for Corcoran confirmed the news of his death to NBC News.
John's death, who Barbara, one of ten siblings, described as her "favorite brother" to TMZ, is not believed to be related to the recent deaths of six American tourists who have died while on vacation in the Caribbean nation.
John was 60 years old and retired, but previously owned Statewide Roofing and Siding in Edgewater, N.J.
According to TMZ, John, who visited the Dominican Republic frequently, was waiting for his girlfriend to join him on the vacation when a friend discovered his body in a hotel suite. While no autopsy was performed, Barbara was informed that the cause of death was a heart attack.
The news of John's death comes in the wake of suspicious deaths of Americans in Dominican Republic hotels starting in June 2018. Two Americans died at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana while four have died at various Bahia Principe resorts. It is unclear at which resort John was staying.
Three of the deaths were due to heart attacks, while one also lists an accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pulmonary edema, as a cause of death. A newly engaged couple from Maryland were found dead in the room in May, with the cause of death listed as respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.
The Dominican Republic's tourism minister, Francisco Javier García told the New York Times that the deaths are "isolated incidents," and that the nation is safe for tourists. Regardless, both Dominican authorities and the FBI are investigating the deaths.
"John Corcoran passed away at the end of April in the DR from what is believed to be natural causes," Emily Burke, Barbara's assistant, told Fox News. "Barbara would like to respect the privacy of his children and is not releasing any other information at this time."
Read more on Yahoo Entertainment:
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle's newsletter.
