Steve Harvey will be hosting his annual Soul & Sand event in the Dominican Republic as planned this year.
Harvey’s event will be held at one of the hotels where 2 tourists died mysteriously after drinking alcoholic beverages.
The 3rd Annual Steve Harvey Sand & Soul Festival will take place October 10 through October 14 at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana. Harvey has no plans to cancel the event or refund tickets.
The all-star celebrity line up includes Ginuwine, Doug E. Fresh, LisaRaye, and Anthony Hamilton.
Authorities believe tainted bootleg liquor is behind the deaths of 8 tourists who were found dead in hotels and resorts on the island over the past year.
A New Jersey man is the eighth tourist to die under mysterious circumstances at the popular Caribbean tourist destination.
Family members say Joseph Allen, 55, was found dead in his hotel room on June 13. A medical examiner ruled he died from natural causes. The term “natural causes” is used when death is by non-violent or external causes.
For instance, death is by natural causes if a patient dies from a preexisting heart condition or terminal illness.
But family members say their loved ones were healthy before they traveled to the DR on vacation. DR officials deny foul play, and the FBI is assisting with the investigation into the deaths.
Officials believe the victims died after consuming alcohol mixed with methanol, a tasteless, odorless methyl alcohol that is found in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. Methanol is potentially deadly to humans. As little as 1 tablespoon of methanol can kill a man. Ingestion of small amounts of methanol can lead to blindness, brain damage, kidney failure and death from cardiac arrest.
Other victims who fell ill after consuming drinks from the minibars in their rooms described symptoms similar to methanol poisoning – disorientation, confusion, headache, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a specific odor on the breath.
The U.S. State Department issued travel advisories warning Americans to avoid consuming mixed drinks or cocktails from the hotel bars in developing countries.
Tourists are also cautioned to buy liquor in sealed bottles or cans and that labels on bottles may not accurately reflect the contents inside.
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