Mass poisoning in Laos: Kiwi traveller’s advice for tourists after similar close call

• A Kiwi woman has shared a warning about tainted alcohol after a mass poisoning in Laos killed five tourists.
• Multiple tourists are violently ill and five have died after the incident in a popular backpacker town.
• Tauranga resident Sacha Harwood, who drank suspected poisoned alcohol in the Philippines, says tourists should be aware of poisoning symptoms and always know where the nearest medical centre is.

A Kiwi woman has described her own close call with possibly poisoned alcohol in Southeast Asia after news of a mass poisoning in Laos that has killed five tourists.

An Australian teenager is among the five people who have died so far after tourists were poisoned by suspected methanol-tainted alcohol in a popular backpacker town.

The group of about 12 tourists became ill after a night out on November 12 in adventure capital Vang Vieng, according to British and Australian media.

Two Danish citizens, an American tourist and a British lawyer are also believed to be among the dead, while multiple others have become violently ill, with another Australian teen on life support.

Now, one New Zealander has shared her own experience with tainted alcohol, warning people may incorrectly think they would notice if something was wrong with their drink.

Sacha Harwood was travelling in the Philippines in 2016 with her then-partner when the pair suffered a similar experience to the Laos poisoning.

“We thought we would just go out for one or two drinks,” she said.

“Both of us had maybe one or two drinks before I started to feel a little bit off. I was quite concerned that I wasn’t feeling quite right.

“Looking back now, I don’t know why I did this, but I’m really thankful I did. I put my drink down on the table and said ‘we’re going,' and dragged him out,” she said.

Sacha Harwood visited the Philippines in 2016.

At this point it had been about five or six hours since their first drink. Harwood said she tried to get her and her partner back to their hotel, but her memory of the incident is patchy.

“[My partner] started acting really weird,” she said.

“He started running off down the beach. He said he was overheating, he kept trying to run into the water. He was also really, really thirsty, he kept trying to find water in the ocean.

“My memory was quite fuzzy because it was kind of going in and out. I remember going into a nearby restaurant and begging them for water before my memory cuts out.”

Harwood managed to get her partner back to the hotel with her, where they then spent the next five hours “extremely unwell”, throwing up repeatedly.

She recovered quicker than her partner. His face swelled up and he was unable to eat or drink for quite some time.

“He stayed very unwell for at least 48 hours after the incident . . . I honestly just think we were extremely lucky to get through that.”

Once they were out the other side of their illnesses, Harwood said she realised they should have sought medical help.

Sacha Harwood said she is "quite aware" of herself when drinking in other countries.

“I think that it’s possible that it was methanol poisoning, I think based on some of the stories that I’ve heard since. Knowing what I know now, I would have gotten us both to a medical centre quickly.”

She believed it was possible but “highly unlikely” their drinks had been spiked, and thought it was more likely the alcohol was tainted in some way.

Seeing the news of the mass poisoning in Laos made Harwood feel she and her partner were “incredibly lucky”.

“I feel incredibly sad for the families that are affected by it,” she said.

“You always think it’s never going to happen to me, but it’s so easy to happen. We didn’t notice anything . . . until it was too late.

“I think a lot of people assume ‘oh I’ve got to drink a lot' or ‘I will know’.”

She believed the poisoning victims would have had no idea what was happening to them.

“It’s a really scary thing to go through.”

Harwood wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking in some foreign countries.

“I’ve always been quite aware of myself when I’m drinking in other countries, and I’m just really grateful that I made it through that.”

She recommended other tourists make sure they knew where the nearest medical centre was, and do their research on the signs of poisoning or drink spiking.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has now warned New Zealanders travelling to Laos to “be cautious” when drinking alcohol.

MFAT said the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok – which has responsibility for Laos – has been contacted by one Kiwi who was unwell and “may be a victim” of the mass poisoning.

“We have updated our travel advisory for Laos to note that there have been several cases of suspected methanol poisoning after consuming alcoholic drinks,” MFAT said in a statement.

“Travellers are advised to be cautious about consuming alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails and drinks made with spirits that may have been adulterated with harmful substances.

“Know the signs of methanol poisoning and seek immediate medical attention if poisoning is suspected.”

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.