TMZ: Brother of 'Shark Tank' star Barbara Corcoran found dead in Dominican Republic hotel room

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC -- The brother of Barbara Corcoran, star on "Shark Tank" was found dead in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic, TMZ reported Wednesday, June 12. According to TMZ, the circumstances sound eerily familiar to the six mysterious tourist deaths in the country over the past year.

Corcoran told TMZ her brother, John, was in the Dominican Republic with a friend in April on his yearly vacation when he died of a heart attack. At least, that's what she was told. As far as she knows, there's been no autopsy, according to TMZ.

Corcoran said her brother's friend -- who was staying in the same suite -- discovered the body, but nobody knows exactly what happened, according to TMZ.

Corcoran told TMZ John was retired, but owned a successful roofing company in New Jersey. She called him "my favorite brother" among her nine siblings and said he had a larger-than-life personality and would have been great on TV.

TMZ was told John loved visiting the Dominican Republic and was awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend before he died. There's been no funeral yet, but a memorial service is planned soon.

TMZ reported six U.S. tourists have been found dead since June 2018 -- two at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, and four at various Bahia Principe resorts. Three of the deaths were reportedly due to heart attacks, but one also listed pulmonary edema -- an accumulation of fluid in the lungs -- according to the death certificate.

A recently engaged couple from Maryland was found dead in their room in late May, and an autopsy reportedly found they also had respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.

The cause of death of the other tourist is unknown.

So far, the deaths are considered isolated incidents by Dominican Republic tourism officials, but Dominican authorities were investigating and asked the FBI for assistance for "further toxicology analysis."