Minnesota natives Annie Korkki, 37 and Robin Korkki, 42 were found dead in their luxury villa in the Seychelles. Photo / Facebook
Minnesota natives Annie Korkki, 37 and Robin Korkki, 42 were found dead in their luxury villa in the Seychelles. Photo / Facebook
Two sisters from Minnesota were found dead inside their luxury resort villa a week into their vacation in the Seychelles.
Annie Korkki, 37, and Robin Korkki, 42, were discovered in their villa at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa last Thursday around noon, authorities in the Seychelles said.
The sisters, who had been on vacation on the tropical island off the coast of Africa since September 15, were found unresponsive and were later pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor.
A preliminary examination conducted by police indicated there were no signs of violence or aggression on the women's bodies, The Seychelles Nation reported.
The women had been drinking alcohol throughout the day on Wednesday and were helped to their room by resort staff around 8.15pm that night, authorities said.
It was the last time they were seen before they were found dead on Thursday morning, according to police.
Now, their heartbroken family is searching for answers into what led to their sudden deaths.
Authorities in Seychelles were called to the scene after a personal butler assigned to the villa arrived at 8.45am on Thursday to find the sliding door locked as he had left it the night before.
After there was still no movement in the room as the day continued, the butler raised his concerns with a supervisor and management who reported it to police, authorities said.
The sisters posted a number of photos of their holiday. Photo / Facebook
The sisters were found unresponsive on the same bed and there was no disturbance in the room, police said.
While their bodies did not show any signs of trauma, certain medications were confiscated from the room by police as part of their investigation, authorities said.
The Korkki sisters' stay at the resort was originally set to end on September 22, but they had extended it to September 24.
Both sisters had shared photos of their stay in Seychelles on Facebook, with many showing the resort, where an ocean panoramic villa costs upwards of $1,800 per night.
In one photo on September 17 appearing to show the beautiful view from their villa, Annie wrote in the comment section calling it "the best place ever".
Photo / Facebook
In another photo, Annie described their trip as "indescribable."
The sisters were both graduates of Eden Prairie High School and were described as adventurous women who "wanted to experience life to the fullest," their brother Chris Korkki told The Star-Tribune.
Annie, who lived in Denver, worked at JP Morgan Chase, according to her Facebook page.
Her sister Robin lived in Chicago and is the Head of FX and Metals at Allston Trading. Both are described as healthy women and experienced travelers.
"The family is in shock," Chris told KMSP of his sisters' deaths.
"Everyone is trying to understand and come to terms with what happened."
Their mother Sue and brother Mike, who both live in Colorado, are currently in Seychelles, pressing local and US officials for answers, The Star-Tribune reported.
They are also making arrangements to bring the women back to the US, their Chris, who lives in Minnesota, told the newspaper.
He also noted that at this time, his family has limited information on what led to his sisters' deaths.
"At this point, the only details we know are the articles flying around online," he told The Start-Tribune.
"My mom has been talking with people from the U.S. Embassy. I don't think they've provided her with any information."
A Giveforward page has been started to help the family with expenses of returning the sisters to the US.
A note on the page written by Kim Haller, who organized the fundraising account, describes the women as "loving sisters and best friends."
The page had raised more than $14,600 as of Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement to KMSP, Haller called the sisters one of a kind.
"They were fun, compassionate and the life of every party... they loved to be adventurous and would travel to places we would only dream of," Haller said.
The sisters' bodies are in a mortuary as authorities await autopsy results to determine the cause of death.
Local police have been working with the American embassy in Mauritius during their investigation, according to The Seychelles Nation.
The Seychelles is located more than 900 miles off Africa's east coast and is a tourist destination with its beaches, natural reserves, warm weather and coral reefs.
The Maia Luxury Resort and Spa is a twelve-acre property on the secluded Anse Louis located on the island of Mahe.
The five-star hotel's 30 suites, ten ocean-front villas and 20 panoramic villas, each offers guests private pools, a 24-hour personal butler and views of the Indian Ocean, according to its website.
