Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said in a statement: “I am deeply saddened by the deaths of three observers AmericansThey are two men and a woman, staying at a hotel in Exuma.

He added that “police are investigating and the cause of death is unknown, but” there is no doubt that what happened was a crime.

A fourth American woman was airlifted to the hospital, and no details have been released.

The incident took place at the luxury Chandelier Emerald Bay Hotel facing the beach Great Exuma Island.

“Initially a health emergency was declared and, as per our protocol, we immediately alerted health professionals and local authorities,” the Sentals Resorts team commented, “respecting the privacy of our guests” and declined to provide further details.

Police said they were notified that a person was “unconscious” at the hotel just after 9am on Friday (1pm GMT).

Upon their arrival, investigators found a unconscious man lying on the ground in one of the villas, and police explained that “no shock was found” and the victim was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

In the second villa, police found another man lying “near the wall” and a woman lying dead on the bed.

Police said the couple had complained of “illness” the previous day and had been “treated” before returning to their place of residence without mentioning the nature of the “illness”.

Investigators said they were waiting for the autopsy results to determine the cause of the mysterious death.