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State Dept: Be Careful If You Go To Mexico & Drink Alcohol

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A U.S. family visiting in January went to Mexico to relax, instead they lost their 20-year-old daughter - later found face down in the pool after drinking.

She has since died.

Mexico is the top international destination for U.S. travelers. Nearly 30 million Americans visited the country last year.

The State Department is now warning people to consume alcohol in moderation and get medical help if they feel sick while drinking in the country.

"It's not a new concern in Mexico – but what you have here is a perfect storm of more than one incident happening to people who don't know each other in different resorts. That is definitely a reason for concern," said Peter Greenberg, a CBS News travel contributor.

In January, Abbey Conner and her family arrived at Paraiso Del Mar from Wisconsin for a vacation. It is one of the ten Iberostar Hotel & Resorts in Mexico.

By dinnertime, 20-year-old Abbey and her 22-year-old brother Austin had reportedly been found unconscious in the pool after drinking at the bar. Both were taken to the hospital where Abbey died days later.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports dozens of other people also claim they were given bad alcohol at Mexico resorts, causing them to get sick or black out.

"They said I couldn't get out of the pool and I wasn't even able to stand up in the pool," said vacationer Kathy Daley.

Daley says she woke up in a Cancun hospital after staying at an Iberostar hotel.

"They said I was vomiting all over the place and they had to call the hotel doctor," said Daley.

More than 1.4 million gallons of tainted alcohol has been seized in Mexico since 2010. Some of the counterfeit alcohol is said to contain pure industrial ethanol, an ingredient used in many rubbing alcohols.

Iberostar hotels and resorts told CBS News they "only purchase sealed bottles that satisfy all standards."

Click here for more information on the travel warning. 

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