Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health has announced an investigation into the luxury hotel where Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of New York Yankees hero Brett Gardner, died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A toxicology report last week confirmed the tragic cause of Miller’s March 21 death at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort – after initial fears that he had died from food poisoning.
And now, the country’s Ministry of Health is launching an investigation off the back of that report.
A statement said: ‘The Ministry of Health is also investigating what happened at a hotel in Manuel Antonio, following a report by the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), which indicates the unfortunate death of a person due to carbon monoxide inhalation.
‘In response to inquiries regarding this case, the Ministry of Health is gathering information and conducting the necessary investigations.
‘For this reason, it is not possible to provide further details at this time. However, once the facts are clarified, more information will be provided.’
Miller Gardner (second right) died suddenly while on a vacation with dad Brett (right), mom Jessica (second left) and older brother Hunter, 16 (left)
Miller was discovered not breathing the morning after the whole family had become violently ill
The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort initially denied the police findings
The toxicology report said that Miller passed away as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide, after a saturation level of 64% was found in his room.
The report, released by Randall Zuniga – general director of the OIJ – late on Wednesday, added that ‘concentrations above 50% are already lethal.’
He added: ‘In this case, the saturation percentage is higher, thus proving the police’s hypothesis that the death was due to exposure to carbon monoxide.’
Zuniga concluded: ‘Other drug tests were conducted, including fentanyl and other substances; all were negative.’
On Tuesday, the cause of death had remained shrouded in mystery after a spokesperson for the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort – where the Gardners were staying – adamantly denied the police’s findings.
‘The levels in the hotel room were non-existent and non-lethal. There was an error in this initial reporting,’ a spokesperson for the resort told the New York Post.
The police had initially reported ‘high levels of carbon monoxide contamination’ in the hotel room, but were awaiting confirmation from the toxicology reports.
The hotel, meanwhile, said that the carbon monoxide levels were detected in a ‘mechanical room that guests do not occupy,’ rather than the guest room itself.
The Gardners’ guest room was closed off ‘out of an abundance of caution’ as they ‘await for conclusive results to confirm the cause of this unfortunate death,’ Arenas Del Mar added.