A mother from Indiana died suddenly last week while traveling back from a vacation in the Dominican Republic, shocking and upsetting her family and friends.
Stefanie Smith, who was a passenger on the American Airlines aircraft from the Dominican Republic to North Carolina on February 28, died. Investigators in Turks and Caicos have stated that they are looking into her death.
Smith, 41, became unwell during the trip, necessitating an emergency landing in Turks and Caicos. She was taken to a hospital and subsequently passed away, according to a statement from the Turks and Caicos police.
According to the police, an autopsy is being performed by medical examiners; the cause of death was not immediately established.
According to Smith’s friend Maria Yannotti, who was also traveling, she appeared well just before the flight while on a five-day holiday with her boyfriend.
“She loves going to the gym every day, even while we were in the Dominican. She made it a point to get up every morning to go to the gym and run on the beach,” Yannotti, who went to the Dominican Republic on her own, said.
Yannotti reported that Smith’s boyfriend, who was seated beside her on the aircraft, reported that she began convulsing and rolling her eyes.
Before the aircraft made an emergency landing, Smith received CPR assistance from a doctor and nurses on board, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation.
According to her brother Chris Volz, Smith was the mother of two children, a 16-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. Volz stated.
“She was a special person…Her kids really…love her a lot, and I know she loved them,” he said. “And so it’s tough.”
