The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Costa Rica, where 14-year-old Miller Gardner was discovered deceased last month, denied a suggestion that high levels of carbon monoxide could have been the reason for his passing.
The resort’s spokesperson, Dana Cohen, emphasized that the elevated carbon monoxide readings were detected in a maintenance area not accessible to guests. Cohen stated in a communication to Us Weekly on April 1 that “The levels of carbon monoxide in the guest room were negligible and posed no threat. The initial reports were inaccurate, and we are awaiting definitive findings to establish the cause of this tragic incident.”
Following the incident on March 21, Arenas Del Mar decided to seal off the room where Miller Gardner, the son of former MLB player Brett Gardner, was found dead as a precautionary measure. The hotel declared its commitment to collaborating fully with Costa Rican legal authorities during the inquiry into the matter.
The statement from the resort pushes back on a theory discussed by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigative Agency (OIJ) on Monday, March 31.
Randall Zúñiga, General Director of the OIJ, said that Miller “may have died from inhaling” carbon monoxide in a virtual communication with the press.
Zúñiga confirmed “high levels of carbon monoxide contamination” as part of testing carried out by a “specialized hazardous atmosphere team” from the Fire Department and forensic engineering performed by OIJ investigators.
“It’s also important to note that next to [the family’s] room there is a specialized machine room, from which it is believed some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident,” Zúñiga added.
The OIJ reported carbon monoxide contamination levels ”as high as 600 parts per million” in the area.
“The appropriate level in this case should be zero,” Zúñiga said.
After the OIJ’s initial report, the Arenas Del Mar issued a statement to Us Weekly addressing the organization’s findings.
“We deeply regret the recent death of a minor at our facilities due to unconfirmed causes,” the statement read. “We express our sincere condolences to the child’s family and loved ones in this time of immense grief. We are respectfully and diligently collaborating with the Costa Rican judicial authorities, who have assumed the corresponding investigation.”
The hotel’s statement continued, “We trust that the forensic process will objectively, clearly, and conclusively clarify the real causes of this unfortunate incident. For the time being, the investigation will continue with the analysis of the various theories put forward by the judicial authorities.”
Miller’s body was found in his hotel room on the morning of March 21 while vacationing with his family in the tourist region of Manuel Antonio.
Official autopsy and toxicology reports are not expected for months.
