VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – More information is becoming available about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three young adults in Mexico City, including a man and woman from Virginia Beach who died while at a vacation rental.
Jordan Marshall and Kandace Florence both died over Halloween weekend. Their friend, Courtez Hall, of New Orleans, also died. All three were found unresponsive inside an Airbnb property in Mexico City. According to the Associated Press, police in Mexico City said they believe the three were victims of gas inhalation. The AP reported that post-mortem exams suggested all three died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The company Mexico Traveler, recently posted on social media about these recent deaths. It is encouraging people to pack their own carbon monoxide detectors.
In Virginia Beach, firefighters recently underwent training on the dangers of carbon monoxide.
“Without having a detector, there’s no way to know that there’s carbon monoxide in the space around us,” said Captain Dillon Dextradeur with Rescue 1. “Here in the Virginia Beach Fire Department, we actually take a carbon monoxide detector with us to every EMS call.”
Captain Dextradeur explained the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can mimic the flu and include nausea, headache, vomiting, and shortness of breath.
News 3 reached out to Airbnb about the situation. In a statement, a spokesperson for Airbnb wrote, “This is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones as they grieve such an unimaginable loss. Our priority right now is supporting those impacted as the authorities investigate what happened, and we stand ready to assist with their inquiries however we can.”
Airbnb’s spokesperson said the company has suspended the listing and canceled upcoming reservations as we investigate. They’re also in touch with the host and the U.S. Embassy.
News 3 also asked Airbnb about their policy regarding carbon monoxide detectors in properties. A company spokesperson told us the following:
“Our global teams work each and every day to promote safe travel for our community. We run a global detector program, giving away combined smoke and CO detectors at no cost to all eligible Hosts. To date, over 200,000 Hosts globally have ordered a detector through this program. We encourage all Hosts to confirm that they have a smoke and CO detector installed, and homes that report having a detector are clearly marked, so this information is visible to guests. Guests can also filter listings by homes that report having them. If a guest books a listing where a Host has not yet reported detectors present, we flag this so they’re aware and can take precautionary steps as needed.”
