Three American women who were discovered dead in a Belize resort hotel room last month died from carbon monoxide poisoning, their families said. A joint statement this week from their families cites the U.S. Embassy in Belize and says the women died from "acute carbon monoxide poisoning, likely caused by a faulty instant water heater."

The three women from Massachusetts who were on vacation in Belize died of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials confirmed Wednesday.

The Belize National Forensics Science Service executive director, Gian Cho, said Thursday that carbon monoxide poisoning killed three American women found dead while at a vacation resort there in February.