A Fort Worth couple died while on vacation in Fiji.
The family said that the healthy and active couple came down with a mysterious illness.
According to WFAA, two weeks ago, Michelle and David Paul set out on the trip of a lifetime. They loved to travel.
Their sister-in-law spoke via Skype from College Station, because their family is now grieving their loss.
David Paul, an Air Force veteran, and his wife Michelle had a 2-year-old son in Fort Worth. The family said they were also helping to raise David's daughter from a previous relationship.
A day before the couple was supposed to come home, family members received a call. They knew something was wrong, so they were able to get to the hospital.
The family said the early indication is some type of virus, strong enough to debilitate the couple.
They said Michelle died first, and David died before he could be airlifted to Australia for treatment.
The exact cause of death is still a mystery.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a statement about the deaths.
“CDC is aware of the death of an American couple in Fiji of an unidentified illness. The Ministry of Health in Fiji has requested CDC assistance and we are working with the government to investigate, including receiving specimens for testing in CDC laboratories. We will share results with the Ministry of Health when available.” “We are simply assisting the Minister of Health and questions/details about the investigation should be directed to them.”
The sister-in-law said the two cannot be returned to the United States until a cause of death is determined.
