Jerome Jester Jr., 31, died on March 17 of a 'respiratory illness' while on vacation 

He had been in the Dominican Republic with his sister who called an ambulance 

Jester is the 13th US tourist to die in mysterious circumstances in the country 

A Georgia man has died of a 'respiratory illness' while on holiday in the Dominican Republic - becoming the 13th American to die there in under a year.

Jerome Jester Jr. of Forsyth, Georgia, died on March 17 this year just a day after going sightseeing in the Caribbean nation, according to his family. 

The 31-year-old had been on vacation with his sister, who called for an ambulance after he started having difficulty breathing.

Jester's sister told ABC News: 'He just dropped to his knees and started throwing up blood, and was calling for Mama.'