Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths: New York Woman Vomited Blood After Drink At DR Resort Where 3 Americans Died

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A Brooklyn woman is claiming she vomited blood after drinking a beverage from her hotel room's mini bar in the Dominican Republic.

She says it was at the same resort where three American tourists died last month, reports CBS2's Reena Roy.

Awilda Montes believes her 7UP bottle was actually filled with bleach when she was on vacation.

She initially thought it might've been some kind of accident or mix up, but now with the recent news of three people dying at the same resort, this could be something criminal

Mysterious Deaths In The Dominican Republic

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway with her boyfriend at the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville Resort last October.

Just a few hours into Montes' vacation she was rushed to the hospital.

"You finally get those days off you look forward to and something like this will happen?" said Montes. "You just don't expect this."

She says it all started when she opened a bottle of 7UP from her hotel room's mini bar. She noticed it didn't have fizz and assumed it was simply flat, but quickly tasted what she believed was bleach.

"I was cautious when I took a gulp of it," said Montes. "I immediately felt it burn me, burn my mouth, burn my tongue.

"My mouth was on fire," she said. "When I spit it out in bathroom sink it was blood. I was just irrigating my mouth."

The hotel staff brought her to a local clinic where doctors treated her for the pain and vomiting.

Montes says the resort apologized, offering upscale dinner reservations and a couples' massage.

The resort is where three American tourists were found dead last month: 41-year-old Miranda Schaup-Werner collapsed and died after also drinking a beverage from the mini bar, according to her family.

Five days later, a Maryland couple were found unresponsive in their room at a sister hotel in the same resort. They showed no signs of violence, and relatives say they were healthy.

"At the time I didn't think it was done deliberately," Montes said about her experience. "Until I saw the news and realized there has to be some kind of correlation with what happened to me and what happened to them.

"I believe these people were poisoned," she said. "I would've been poisoned had I not held it in my mouth and spit it (out) because it took effect really fast."

In a statement, the resort claims Miranda Schaup-Werner died of a heart attack. A family spokesman says she was treated for a heart issue years ago but was recently in good health.

"We don't have any answers of what happened down there," said neighbor Mike Saraceni.

The FBI confirms it is investigating the sudden deaths. Preliminary autopsies indicate all three had the same cause: fluid in the lungs and respiratory failure.

Resort officials tell CBS News the deaths are unrelated. CBS2 has reached out to them for information in Montes' case and are waiting to hear back.