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A Texas couple’s family and friends are looking for answers after the pair came down with an aggressive virus while they were vacationing in Fiji and tragically died.
David and Michelle Paul, of Fort Worth, Texas, had been excited about their trip to Fiji for a long time but sadly never made it back home. They were raising a 2-year-old son in Fort Worth and family said they were also helping to raise David's daughter from a past relationship. Their family back in the U.S. is now coping with the tragic loss.
Their trip of a lifetime became a nightmare when the couple became ill and were taken to hospital.
It was reported by KVUE that Michelle died first and there were plans in place to transfer David to Australia for further treatment but he died before they could. The virus was so aggressive and deadly that it was able to debilitate two healthy and young individuals in only days.
Tracey Calanog, Michelle Paul’s sister-in-law, told the outlet that they were “Very physically fit. Former Air Force. Former student-athlete” and that “They knew something was going on in their body and were able to get to the hospital,” unfortunately it was too late and the couple succumbed to the illness they had contracted on the South Pacific island.
In the wake of their deaths, Calanog told KVUE the couple’s bodies will have to remain on the island until it is determined that the illness is not infectious.
The couple's children were back in Texas with relatives while the couple vacationed in Fiji.
The U.S. Embassy in Fiji said in a statement it had been working closely with the Fiji government, police and health officials for more than a week to investigate the deaths.
“The Embassy has facilitated contact between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Fiji’s Ministry of Health to ascertain the causes of death and to assist in any related measures. We appreciate the efforts made thus far by the Fijian authorities and stand ready to provide further assistance, if requested. At this point, we are not aware of any specific public-health threat to the community.”
According to a report by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, police on the island have confirmed an illness caused the couple's deaths. The report says further testing on the remains will be done overseas.