New York holidaymakers presumed dead in Dominican Republic

A photo reportedly showing Ms Ravenelle and Mr Moore during their stay at the resort

A New York couple missing for two weeks in the Dominican Republic probably died after a car accident on the way to the airport, police say.

Two unidentified bodies found in Santo Domingo East match descriptions of Portia Ravenelle and Orlando Moore, according to officials.

Authorities believe the pair crashed early in the morning on 27 March in a rental car.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations.

According to Dominican Republic National Police spokesman Col Frank Felix Durán Mejia, a woman believed to be Ms Ravenelle was found alive but critically injured on the Las Americas highway on 27 March, the same day the pair went missing.

• US couple vanish in Dominican Republic

• Family 'desperate' over missing Briton

• Father confirms US tourist's death

The woman, found without any identifying documents, was taken to the Doctor Darío Contreras hospital where she spent six days in intensive care before dying on 4 April.

Four days after she was discovered, on 31 March, the body of a man was reportedly retrieved by authorities washed ashore near San Souci.

His remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, police said, and he had a tattoo that read "Milano" on the right arm, matching one known to be on Mr Moore.

The body was recovered about 21km (13 miles) from where authorities believe the couple's car plunged into the Caribbean Sea.

Authorities have not yet been able to identify or recover the car due to poor water conditions.

Although their bodies were found within days of the car crash, family and friends of the couple are only just learning what happened to them, CNN reports.

"She had to die by herself" family friend Franecsca Figueroa told CNN. "When one of us could have been there holding her hand."

Ms Figueroa told CNN she had known Mr Moore for about 25 years.

She described the couple as "happy-go-lucky", "always trying to help people".

The pair, of Mount Vernon, New York, stayed at the all-inclusive Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa resort in Samaná from 23- 27 March.

They had not been heard from since they began their drive to the airport to return home, according to reports.

Authorities had confirmed that Mr Moore and Ms Ravenelle passed a toll booth on the way to Santo Domingo at 01:41 on 27 March.