Paramedics who responded to Mexico hotel deaths have fallen ill

The sibling paramedics who responded to an American couple found dead in their hotel room last week at an upscale hotel in Mexico are now saddled with medical bills after having themselves fallen ill, according to a fundraiser for the pair.

Fernando Valencia Sotelo and Grisel Valencia Sotelo, who tried to revive Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 41, who died by “intoxication by an undetermined substance” at Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas, themselves “were overcome” as they attended to the couple. 

Now the two are receiving medical care at a private hospital, a fundraiser for the siblings states. To date, it has raised more than $28,000 against a $30,000 goal. 

“They were able to exit the room just in time before Grisel collapsed to the ground,” the GoFundMe campaign explains. “Fernando was able to get himself and Grisel back to their ambulance and administer oxygen to himself and to her.”

The pair, who volunteer for the nonprofit Firefighters and Paramedics of Pescadero, were subsequently taken to a hospital in the state of La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, and later transferred to a private hospital. 

The Sotelo siblings still feel “very ill” and are concerned about the long-term health effects they may suffer. However, they face large out-of-pocket expenses that they cannot afford, according to the fundraising page. The Firefighters and Paramedics of Pescadero is supported entirely by donations. 

The fundraiser’s organizer, Hilary Chandler, added that the nonprofit has not received compensation for the siblings’ medical bills. Chandler is a local artist who also volunteers for the firefighters and paramedics.

The Sotelos hesitated to go to the private hospital given the anticipated cost, but it was the only facility at which they could be properly treated, according to Chandler. Funds raised will go toward covering the cost of their treatment and compensating them for lost time off work. Additional funds will support the volunteer organization.