A British tourist revealed she almost died from methanol poisoning after drinking alcohol at the same hostel where two Australian teenagers tragically lost their lives.
Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, died this month after a night of partying in the party town of Vang Viang, a small town north of the Lao capital Vientiane.
Jones and Bowles, who had been staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel, were rushed to separate hospitals in Thailand after asking staff for help on November 13.
Jones died in Udon Thani hospital on Thursday and Bowles died in nearby Bangkok hospital on Friday.
Four foreign tourists from Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States also died, while another 14 tourists who had been drinking in the area developed methanol poisoning within days of each other.
Lucy Davison, who was on holiday in Laos with her boyfriend, said she was drinking alcohol at the same hostel and within 15 hours developed life-threatening symptoms.
“I was one of the British citizens who suffered methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, Laos,” Lucy said in a video shared on social media on Sunday.
“I just wouldn’t want anyone to go through what my partner and I had to go through because it’s literally been the worst two weeks of our lives.”
British tourist Lucy Davison warned travelers heading to Southeast Asia about the dangers of alcohol after suffering methanol poisoning and spending five days in hospital.
Ms Davison explained that it was common practice for hostels in Southeast Asia to offer their guests a free hour of alcoholic beverages, including beers, spirits and cocktails.
He added that for its happy hour, Nana Backpackers Hostel offered guests a complimentary bottle of Tiger vodka or whiskey.
“We had a big table of about 10 people and we all shared what they gave us.”
Despite drinking only a small amount of vodka, Ms Davison developed severe methanol poisoning 15 hours after consuming the alcohol.
‘It wasn’t until 3 p.m. that my symptoms began to appear, which were extreme fatigue; “I was pretty much asleep all day,” Mrs Davison said.
Ms Davison experienced methanol poisoning after drinking locally sourced vodka at Nana Backpackers Hostel (pictured), the same hostel where two Australian teenagers who died from methanol poisoning were staying.
‘I was vomiting violently. I was really lucid. I had vision problems, I could barely see, it was like bright lights and a high fever.’
Davison’s boyfriend rushed her to Kasemrad International Hospital in Vientiane, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit for 24 hours.
He spent the next four days recovering in hospital, with Davison stating that the doctors and nurses “literally saved my life”.
Ms Davison warned travelers heading to South East Asia to be very careful when drinking alcohol as it only takes one drink for methanol to be lethal.
“If you’re traveling to Southeast Asia, stick to bottled beer and glass wine,” Ms Davison said.
The Lao government has vowed to bring to justice the perpetrators of the alleged mass poisoning in Vang Viang after the deaths of six people, including Bianca Jones (pictured).
Ms Jones was traveling with her best friend Holly Bowles (pictured) when the pair developed methanol poisoning after drinking at Nana Backpackers Hostel and Jaidee Bar on November 13.
‘If you want alcohol, whether it’s a cocktail or a spirit, know 100 per cent what it is before you drink it.
‘We are sensible people, it happened to us. You never think it’s going to happen to you. So be aware of what you are putting in your bodies.
‘I’m very lucky to be fine. I’m not completely recovered but I’m getting stronger every day. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected.’
Nana Backpackers staff denied adding anything to the Tiger Vodka drinks that had been given away as part of the hostel’s happy hour between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Tiger brand whiskey and vodka are also given away at other bars and reports of methanol poisoning have emerged at several venues.
A bottle of alcohol was seen at the hostel where the two Australian girls were staying.
Nana Backpackers Hostel owner Duong Duc Toan was reportedly among “several people” detained by police for questioning, but no charges have yet been filed.
Staff at the hostel, which was still operating but not accepting new guests, confirmed that the manager and owner were among those questioned.
But staff previously vehemently denied that injections administered at their bar were responsible for the mass poisoning.
Toan said that 100 free drinks were handed out to guests, including Ms Jones and Ms Bowles, the previous night and that he had received no other complaints.
But he denied it was his vodka that made the girls sick, insisting the alcohol was bought from legitimate sellers and even drunk from a bottle to “prove it was safe.”
Nana Backpackers Hostel owner Duong Duc Toan (pictured) has denied that alcohol served at the bar was contaminated with methanol.
Methanol is a colorless liquid that tastes similar to alcohol and is a byproduct of bootleg liquor. Consuming even a small amount can cause blindness, multiple organ failure, and death.
Other victims of the alleged mass poisoning are the American James Louis Hutson, 57, two young Danish women, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and a 38-year-old British woman. attorney Simone White.
On Saturday, the Lao government vowed to “bring the perpetrators to justice,” in its first public statement since the international incident.
Officials said they were “deeply saddened” and expressed their “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families.
“The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is deeply saddened by the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, and expresses its sincere condolences and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” it reads. in the statement.
‘The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has been carrying out investigations to find the causes of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.
“The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic reaffirms that it always attaches importance and pays attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.”