Laos methanol poisoning survivor Bethany Clarke and her late friend's mother, Sue White, whose daughter Simone died in the Southeast Asian country, broke their silence on 60 Minutes Australia. Photos / 123rf, Nine
Laos methanol poisoning survivor Bethany Clarke and her late friend's mother, Sue White, whose daughter Simone died in the Southeast Asian country, broke their silence on 60 Minutes Australia. Photos / 123rf, Nine
A British woman who fell severely ill with methanol poisoning while staying at a backpackers hostel in Laos last year has opened up about the terrifying experience that left six foreigners dead – including her childhood friend.
Clarke flew to Laos from Brisbane and the pair began travelling through the Southeast Asian country.
Visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, Clarke and White stayed at Nana Backpacker Hostel on November 12. There, alongside several other tourists, the women were offered free shots of vodka and whisky that they consumed without the knowledge the drinks were contaminated with methanol.
The next morning, Clarke and White were taken to hospital after experiencing severe symptoms of methanol poisoning. White died a few days later, after her mother, Sue, arrived in Laos.
White was one of six victims who succumbed to methanol poisoning while staying at the hostel in Vang Vieng.
The Nana Backpacker Hostel has since closed.
Vang Vieng on the Nam Song River is a popular party destination in Laos. Photo / Getty Images
Clarke and White went river tubing on the day of the incident, enjoying a “great” day on the water before they returned to the hostel for drinks.
As part of the hostel’s happy hour, guests were offered free shots. Clarke recalled having six, explaining in a recent interview they had every reason to believe it was legitimate alcohol.
“If it looked dodgy, I wouldn’t have drunk it. We went up to the bar and I watched him pour them out from a glass bottle with a vodka label on it,” Clarke said on 60 Minutes Australia.
“You don’t really question it if you’re on holiday,” said White’s mother, Sue, who spoke alongside Clarke on the programme. “If it comes out of a bottle with a label on it, you just assume that’s what’s in the bottle.”
Before they began drinking, White sent her mother a message telling her she was “having the best time, you know, it’s an absolutely fantastic holiday”.
Sue recalls this would be the last message she’d ever receive from her daughter, probably early evening in Laos, just before the poisoning occurred.
Bethany Clarke (right) and Simone White's mother, Sue, recalled their traumatic ordeal in an interview with 60 Minutes. Photo / Nine
Clarke and White’s health deteriorated over the following night, with Clarke equating their illness to being in a stupor.
“You just physically can’t move. It’s like you are more or less paralysed,” Clarke said upon reflection.
“You can still walk, but everything is much, much, much more difficult than it would be ordinarily ... mainly fatigue, nausea, I fainted.”
Mother’s anguish
Fellow travellers helped get the pair to hospital, but as White’s health continued to decline, she was placed in an induced coma.
As doctors prepared to perform last-minute brain surgery on White in an attempt to save her, Clarke was dealt the heartbreaking task of calling White’s mother at 2am [UK time] to ask for her consent.
Sue quickly flew to Laos to be by her daughter’s side.
After White’s condition failed to improve, Sue had to switch off her daughter’s life support because the doctors could not do it due to their religious beliefs.
British lawyer Simone White, 28, died in November after unknowingly consuming alcohol contaminated with methanol at a bar in Vang Vieng, Laos.
Although her friend was fatally injured by the methanol poisoning, Clarke managed to fully recover and was able to return home, and she believes it was due to her shots having a smaller degree of methanol contamination.
“Yeah, could’ve easily been me [who died],” Clarke told 60 Minutes Australia.
“The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok [which has responsibility for Laos] has been providing assistance to one New Zealander who we believe to have been poisoned with methanol in Laos,” she said.
“They have now departed Laos and returned home.”
Mfat updated its travel advisory for Laos in November to note there had been several cases of suspected methanol poisoning after consuming alcoholic drinks.
“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.”
In response to the incident, Laos authorities have stated investigations are continuing. According to the Daily Mail, the Laotian government sent a letter to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying it was holding a “thorough investigation” into the tragedy “to bring the perpetrators to justice”.
