Two American sisters found dead in their hotel room in the Seychelles died of excess fluid in their lungs, the Seychelles News Agency reported, citing the Seychelles police.
Autopsies performed Wednesday showed that Robin Marie Korkki, 42, of Chicago and Anne Marie Korkki, 37, of Denver died from acute pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, SNA reported.
Cerebral endema, or excess fluid in the brain, also contributed to Anne Korkki’s death, SNA reported.
Resort management discovered the women unresponsive September 22 in their villa, Seychelles Police spokesman Jean Toussaint said. CNN affiliate KBJR reported they were staying at the Maia resort on Seychelles’ main island, Mahe.
No visible signs of injuries were found on the bodies, he said.
Toussaint was quoted as saying “various specimens” have been collected for toxicology analysis on the nearby island of Mauritius.
No explanation was offered for why fluid built up in the women’s lungs.
Seychelles authorities contacted the US Embassy, Toussaint said. He declined to provide further information, citing privacy and ongoing investigations.
Calls to the US Embassy in the Seychelles went unanswered.
‘This isn’t happening’
Worried relatives in the sisters’ native Minnesota are seeking answers.
In Minneapolis, the women’s brother told a newspaper that the family is getting no information on the case. Some family members have traveled to the Seychelles to gather details and bring the sisters’ bodies home.
“At this point, the only details we know are the articles flying around online,” Chris Korkki told the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune this week. “Two things keep going through my mind: This isn’t happening, and we just want answers.”
He said his sisters were healthy and adventurous and loved to “experience life to the fullest.” They had been posting photos on social media showing them swimming and having fun on the vacation.
Anne Korkki moved to Denver last year and worked for JP Morgan Chase, he told CNN affiliate KCNC.
Robin Korkki had worked as a commodities trader in Chicago since the mid-2000s, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Popular destination
The Seychelles are a popular tourist destination because of their pristine beaches, warm water and coral reefs.
The Korkki sisters were staying in Mahe, one of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean nation.
They arrived in the Seychelles on September 15 and were due to leave September 24, two days after they were found dead, Toussaint said.
