The Indiana mother of two who died on a flight home from the Dominican Republic last week had enjoyed poolside mojitos and a steak dinner the night before she unexpectedly fell ill. Stefanie Smith, 41, appeared to be in good health during her stay at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro in Punta Cana, her friend and travel companion Maria Yannotti told Daily Mail.
Smith and her boyfriend, along with close friends Maria Yannotti, 36, and Clay Sharpe, 43, had planned a five-night stay at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. However, their romantic couples' getaway took a tragic turn when, minutes into her return flight, Smith began convulsing.
Mysterious Over Death Continues
The plane diverted to the Turks and Caicos Islands, where she was ultimately declared dead. Smith's family, left in shock, is awaiting the results of a private autopsy to determine the cause of death for the lively X-ray technician from Danville, Indiana, who had no apparent pre-existing medical issues.
Yannotti told the Daily Mail that Smith had poolside mojitos and indulged in a steak dinner the night before she suddenly fell ill.
"The level of drinking never went beyond what I would call a nice little buzz. We pretty much had the same drinks. We enjoyed the strawberry mojitos made with Malibu rum," Yannotti shared with the outlet regarding the trip. The vacation also included visits to the resort's five restaurants, along with hours spent at the beach and by the pools.
On the final night of their trip, Smith, Yannotti, and their partners gathered for dinner at El Galeon, described as a luxurious surf and turf eatery.
Recalling the evening, Yannotti said that both she and Smith had the ribeye steak accompanied by a bottle of Moscato.
"It's five-star, very secure. I always felt very safe. The food was great. Everything was very clean, very upkept," Yannotti told the Daily Mail of the meal.
Yannotti said that no one in the group complained about the food or reported feeling unwell at any point during the trip.
She added that Smith, an X-ray tech with two teenagers at home, regularly visited the resort gym and went for runs along the white sandy beaches.
"Stefanie was a ball of energy and personality. She was so much fun to be around. She could make anyone smile," Yannotti lamented.
Still Unbelievable
Yannotti and her husband were scheduled to fly home to Georgia several hours after Smith and her boyfriend's first return flight to Charlotte took off on February 28, she explained.
Yannotti received her last text from Smith around 4:55 p.m. Eastern time, which read, "Remind me to call you when we land in Charlotte, to tell you a funny story."
However, less than two hours later, Smith's flight diverted to the Turks and Caicos after she started convulsing in her seat. She was rushed to the local medical center, where she was later pronounced dead.
"We were sitting in Miami on our layover. The boyfriend called and said that he had something to tell us. He said Stefanie had died. She's gone and he wasn't sure what happened," Yannotti told the Daily Mail.
"He said he looked at her and her head was tilted back into her seat. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head and he thought she was making fun of him at first," she continued.
"Then she started convulsing and that's when he called for help and they performed CPR and the pilot decided to make the call to land," the heartbroken friend said.
"It floored me. I was in complete shock. I had been texting her just minutes before we received that phone call," Yannotti continued.
"What's happened is just devastating for everyone. We don't know if it was just a freak accident or something more. Until we get the autopsy back, it's just a complete mystery," she said.
Smith had no known pre-existing health conditions, her brother, Chris Volz, told the Daily Mail.
"Stefanie had just built a brand-new beautiful house. She had a great job, two great kids. She had absolutely everything going for her," Yannotti said sadly.
"We all say life is short, live every day like it's your last, that sort of thing. But you don't truly appreciate what that means until something happens to someone you love," she admitted.
