A Canadian married couple was found dead while vacationing in the Dominican Republic last month, leaving their family searching for answers as authorities continue their investigation.
Christine Sauvé, 55, and Alain Noël, 56, both from Québec, were discovered unresponsive by their son in their vacation home at the El Indio Village residential complex in Villa Riva on Friday, Dec. 26, according to Christine’s brother, Gilles Sauvé Jr.
Autopsies have already been conducted, and the family has been told they should receive initial findings later this week. However, Gilles says a final report could take as long as four months.
In the absence of definitive conclusions, local speculation has ranged from murder to suicide. Gilles strongly disputes those claims, saying he does not believe either theory is accurate.
Married for more than 30 years, Christine and Alain raised two children, Jonathan, 30, and Sabrina, 28. Gilles describes the couple as warm, generous people with a wide circle of friends.
“Alain was a big man, but he was a real teddy bear,” Gilles says. “And Christine was amazing. She loved doing things for her family.”
The couple arrived in the Dominican Republic on Dec. 14 with their son Jonathan for a planned month-long vacation. They owned a home there and intended to live in the country after retiring.
During the trip, Christine began experiencing dizziness and suffered a fall. On Dec. 25, she visited a hospital, where blood tests were performed. She was discharged the same day without medication and instructed to return the next day for scans.
According to Gilles, Alain had also felt some dizziness but was so focused on his wife’s condition that he didn’t mention his own symptoms to doctors.
After returning home from the hospital, the couple spoke with family members in Canada via FaceTime. Gilles says both appeared tired and exhausted but did not complain of dizziness during the call.
Christine told her family she was unsure what had caused her symptoms, wondering if they might be linked to existing health issues. Both she and Alain had high blood pressure and diabetes, though she couldn’t say for certain.
“It wasn’t clear,” Gilles says. “There was nothing really clear about it.”
The couple also mentioned mild stomach discomfort but didn’t believe it was related to anything they had eaten. Despite their fatigue, Gilles says they otherwise seemed normal.
“Alain even showed me the house outside,” he recalls, noting that his brother-in-law proudly pointed out new garden additions and lights. Christine was also engaged in the conversation and speaking normally.
The following morning, Jonathan woke up around 9:30 a.m. and noticed his parents were still asleep — unusual for Alain, who was typically up early due to his work in the family construction business.
Initially, Jonathan assumed they were resting after a tiring day. But when they still hadn’t gotten up an hour later, he went into their bedroom and found them unresponsive in bed.
Gilles says Jonathan immediately called his sister Sabrina and told her their parents were not breathing. Sabrina instructed him to contact the resort’s owner-manager, who then notified local authorities.
“Everyone came, did what they had to do, and searched the house,” Gilles says.
Gilles and Sabrina traveled to the Dominican Republic about a day and a half later to support Jonathan and help communicate with local authorities, a process made difficult by language barriers.
Canadian officials contacted the family several days later to provide funeral home information, though the family had already taken steps on their own.
Global Affairs Canada previously confirmed the deaths to Global News, stating that officials were working with local authorities to gather information but could not share further details due to privacy considerations.
More than a week after the tragedy, Gilles says the family is coping as best they can, though the loss remains overwhelming.
“It’s a big loss,” he says, adding that losing both parents at once has been especially devastating for their children.
When asked how he hopes Christine and Alain will be remembered, Gilles points to their kindness and devotion to family.
He recalls that after his wife died from leukemia a year and a half ago, Christine stepped in to help care for his daughter, who also works in the family business. Now, he says, he plans to do the same for her children.
“I have two kids,” Gilles says, “but now I have four kids, because I will take care of theirs.”`
