Canadian Tourist Found Dead in Dominican Republic as Concerns Rise Over Mysterious Deaths of Foreigners

Dorian MacDonald was found dead in the waters of the Dominican Republic on June 20, 2025

A Canadian tourist has been found dead on a beach in the Dominican Republic, marking the second recent unexplained fatality involving a foreigner in the Caribbean nation.

Dorian Christian MacDonald, 38, of Nova Scotia, was discovered lifeless in the waters off Maimon Bay on June 20, after taking a late-night walk from his hotel in Puerto Plata, a resort town on the country's northern coast. Authorities say he was last seen around 2 a.m., and a 911 call reporting him missing was placed an hour later. His body was recovered just after 4 a.m. during high tide by police and the Civil Defense.

Both police personnel and Civil Defense responded to a 911 call reporting a missing person on the beach, where they discovered MacDonald's (pictured) body in the water during high tide just after 4am

A cause of death has not been officially confirmed by Dominican officials, but a family friend stated that MacDonald died in a drowning accident.

“Dorian died suddenly in a drowning accident. He was only 38 years old,” wrote Tara McKenzie, a close friend, in a tribute posted alongside a fundraising campaign. “Now, the world feels a lot quieter and a whole lot less vibrant just knowing he’s no longer a part of it.”

On June 20th, MacDonald reportedly took a brief late-night walk alone on a beach around 2am, stepping out from his solitary stay at a hotel in Puerto Plata on the island’s north coast

The GoFundMe campaign was launched to raise between $10,000 and $20,000 to cover the costs of returning MacDonald’s remains to his family in Nova Scotia. As of Friday evening, over $33,000 had been raised toward a $40,000 goal. McKenzie emphasized the emotional and financial strain the repatriation process brings, describing it as "slow, expensive, and deeply complicated."

"We just want him out of that cold system and back where he belongs — with us,” she wrote.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed it is aware of the death but cited privacy laws in declining to release further information.

MacDonald's mysterious drowning comes just months after Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, vanished in the early hours of March 6 at the Riu Republica Resort on Punta Cana

MacDonald’s death has raised renewed concern following the unresolved disappearance of 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki. She vanished from the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana on March 6 after walking to the beach around 4:15 a.m. with fellow student Joshua Riibe. Her body has never been recovered.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic quickly ruled her case a drowning, but independent experts questioned the explanation, noting that a body lost at sea in that area would likely have washed ashore. Riibe, who was temporarily barred from leaving the country, later told investigators he helped Konanki out of the water before she disappeared.

The spring breaker was caught on CCTV walking to the beach with former Iowa high school wrestling champ, 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, at 4.15am

Konanki’s family later requested the investigation be closed as a drowning. However, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman in Virginia has urged Dominican officials to release all related evidence and dispatched two detectives to conduct an independent probe.

Despite being one of the Caribbean’s top travel destinations, the Dominican Republic has faced growing scrutiny over a number of tourist deaths and disappearances, particularly those involving young visitors.