A father of two from Denver who was forced to disembark his flight leaving the Dominican Republic when he became ill on Sunday has died, according to family members.
Khalid Adkins’ family said Wednesday he died at a local hospital in the Dominican Republic, but his cause of death is unknown, the New York Post reported.
Adkins died after he fell ill while vacationing in Punta Cana with family.
KGMH reported he reportedly received an injection of an unknown medication at a Dominican hospital so he could take his return flight, but airline personnel forced him to disembark the aircraft due to his illness.
“He said, ‘They pulled me off the plane and made me go to the hospital,’” his sister-in-law, Marla Strick, told KDVR.
Strick added that he was “dripping sweat and went to the bathroom to throw up and that’s when they kicked him off the plane.”
Adkins’ family said he was forced to stay at a Dominican hospital alone, where he vomited and yelled out in pain until he died. He reportedly also had trouble breathing and experienced kidney failure before his death.
Doctors did not give an official diagnosis, but his family was reportedly told he was in critical condition.
Adkins’ relatives have set up a GoFundMe account to raise money to bring his body back to the U.S. and that any additional funds would go towards supporting his two children.
“We just want to get his body home to hopefully get some answers and help these two young adults at age 20 and 24 and have lived with only their dad since age 7,” the page said.
Adkins is one of many other tourists who have died from mysterious illnesses after vacationing in the Dominican Republic this year. At least 11 of those tourists were Americans.