Retreat Victim's Family Talks to FOX 10

It was supposed to be a spiritual retreat, but that all changed when two people died and dozens more were sent to hospital after becoming ill. It happened at the Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, and now the family of one of the victims is talking to FOX 10.

Family members describe 38 year-old Kirby Brown as someone who loved motivational retreats. The New York woman died after participating in a sweat lodge retreat this past week, hosted by self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray.

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Brown's cousin, Tom McFeeley spoke to FOX 10 from the family's home in Westtown, New York where the family has gathered to mourn.

He says his cousin had been to Ray's motivational retreats before, and was looking forward to this one.

Yavapai County Sheriff's investigators are still trying to piece together what happened, but they say the sweat lodge consisted of eight rounds of crouching inside the low tent, with dozens of people.. for about 15-to-30 minutes.

FOX 10's Sarah Acevedo reports.