Brit woman dies white water rafting in hols hotspot as cops launch manslaughter probe into tour guides
The tragic accident occurred shortly after 12pm on Saturday in the southeast of the country while she rafting was in the Guisane river.
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A Brit woman died while whitewater rafting in Briancon in the French Alps (stock)
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The Irish Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Laughing gas ‘epidemic' sweeping party island with tourists left foaming at mouth, having seizures & permanently scarred
BRIT tourists have been suffering seizures, foaming at the mouth and left permanently scarred after inhaling toxic drugs on the streets of Ibiza. Armed with industrial-sized canisters of nitrous oxide, determined dealers roam the infamous San Antonio party strip - targeting Brits as "easy prey". Advertisement 9 Tourists laden with balloons on the notorious San Antonio party strip Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Local businesses are fed up with the rampant use of balloons on the streets of Ibiza Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 A holidaymaker inhaling nitrous oxide - surrounded by empty balloons Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd But the Class C drug can cause a range of health issues - and in some cases can even be fatal. In the UK, the gas is most commonly sold in small canisters which deliver a single dose - enough to fill one balloon. But dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits - and come in boxes of six. At the going rate of five euros a balloon, the street value of a six-pack of canisters is around £2,000 - and they're strewn across the town. Advertisement Read more world news When The Sun visited the notorious strip, our reporter was hounded and followed down the street by dealers. Katie Mae, a bartender at Irish pub Shenanigans on the town's main strip, said laughing gas is 'the worst of them all'. The 21-year-old told The Sun: "I'll lecture anyone I see taking it - I've seen the worst things from laughing gas. 'I've seen young lads having seizures on the street and foaming at the mouths, but their friends are high so do nothing to help. Advertisement Most read in The Sun 'One girl I saw inhaled gas straight from the canister, and it froze one side of her face. "It was all cut up and she would have been scarred for life." After working on the strip for three seasons, Katie said: 'The consequences aren't talked about anywhere near enough. "People don't take it seriously as a drug - but it's one of the worst." Advertisement One British bar worker living in San Antonio told us she used to sell laughing gas here, but stopped after one of her customers 'nearly died'. The Brit said she got 'freaked out' when a young lad fell backwards and smashed his head on the road in the midst of a balloon high. She told us: 'I used to sell laughing gas for about a year-and-a-half because it was easy money . 'You'd sell each balloon for five euros and buy the canisters for cheap. There's loads of shops around here that sell them. Advertisement 'But as soon as that happened I stopped. It really freaked me out. 'And the gas is not good stuff - it freezes your insides.' Nitrous oxide - the facts NITROUS oxide - also known as laughing gas or hippy crack - was recently made a Class C due to the dangers associated with the drug. It can cause a range of health issues and in some cases can even be fatal. Some common side effects from inhaling the gas are Nitrous oxide can impair memory and thinking, the research mentioned. Some users might also feel According to the Inhaling directly from the canister or crackers - handheld devices used to 'crack' open canister - can cause frostbite on the nose, lips and throat, even the vocal cords. The icy chill of the gas canisters can also cause cold burns to the hands. Long term, heavy use of laughing gas can cause a lack of Lack of B12 can also cause damage to the spinal cord. In some cases, frequent and prolonged use of nitrous oxide has been linked to thromboembolic events - this means a blood clot has gotten stuck and caused an obstruction. The so-called laughing gas has also resulted in deaths. Another Brit staff member at the bar described the situation as an "epidemic". The streets around San Antonio's so-called West End, which includes the main strip and most of the bars, are littered with brightly-coloured rubber confetti. Advertisement Angelica Giraldo, a shopworker at Xanadu Supermarket near the strip, said the mess left behind by party-goers has ruined certain areas. She said: 'Lots of the tourists who come to San Antonio seem just to want to take drugs and to party rather than enjoy the island. 'I don't really see the other stuff - but the rubbish from the balloons is very clear. You see them all over the road, it's very ugly.' Angelica, 40, has lived in Ibiza all her life and noticed a sharp rise in laughing gas in recent years. Advertisement She said: 'It is everywhere now. And it causes lots of accidents. 'People take it while driving , but it makes them go crazy and they crash. This happens a lot.' Selling the gas for recreational use is illegal in Spain - but that doesn't stop a crew of drug dealers openly pushing it every night. 9 The streets in San Antonio are full of tourists inhaling nitrous oxide Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Advertisement 9 Dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Nitrous oxide balloons litter the floor on the notorious party strip in San Antonio Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Walking around the West End, tourists are hounded constantly by - and see youngsters as an easy sell. The dealers loiter amongst the outdoor bar seating and persistently hassle drinkers to encourage them to buy balloons - and many do. Advertisement Bartender Katie claimed the dealers have an app to alert each other if police are patrolling a certain area. On one occasion, The Sun saw Civil Guards officers walking down the strip with a confiscated canister, and another cop was seen searching a young man for drugs. The Sun approached cops on the street - but they all refused to talk about the issue. While laughing gas is the most obvious drug in San Antonio due to the brightly-coloured balloons, almost any party drug you can think of is readily available. Advertisement 9 Tourists inhale laughing gas on benches in San Antonio Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Finished balloons litter the street on the notorious party strip Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Angelica Giraldo, a shopworker at Xanadu Supermarket near the strip, said the mess left behind by party-goers has ruined certain areas Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Walking along the sea-front, dealers call out "hey, dude, yo, what do you need?' to almost every passerby. Advertisement Anything other than a stern refusal sees them opening up a pouch stuffed full of drugs, and flashing you bags of coloured powders or pills. Ricardo, who runs Jungle Bistró Ibiza in the old town district with his wife, said he is glad that most of the anti-social behaviour is limited to San Antonio's West End. And he said it is 'easy' for the dealers to sell to young Brits. The restaurant manager said: 'A lot of them are British, they come to San Antonio just for the parties. Advertisement 'It is easy to sell to them. I don't want any of that over in this part of town. We mainly have families around here' San Antonio Town Council said: "The process is also underway to incorporate ten new officers into the Local Police force, increasing its staff from 59 to 69. "This will ensure a more effective service tailored to the municipality's current needs. "A new position of intrusion and community coexistence officer has also been created, and a private security service will be put out to tender with the aim of reducing vandalism and uncivil behaviour in selected areas. Advertisement "The City Council is fully aware that these are only the first steps in a broader transformation process and that there is still a long way to go. "Therefore, it remains steadfast in its commitment to continue working to build a better Sant Antoni for everyone, supporting a tourism model that prioritizes quality, sustainability, and coexistence."
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Cruise ship crew member stabbed female colleague, 28, before jumping overboard to his death in Caribbean
A ROYAL Caribbean crew member stabbed his female colleague before jumping overboard to his death, police say. The body of a 35-year-old South African man was recovered from the water just minutes after he is said to have attacked a 28-year-old woman. 4 A Royal Carribean cruise ship recovery team found the man in the water just minutes after he stabbed a colleague and jumped overboard Credit: TikTok/@nickdestefano29 4 A rescue boat searching the waters after a staff member fell overboard 4 Both crew members were working on the luxury Icon of the Seas cruise late on Thursday night when a 'personal dispute' erupted onboard Credit: Alamy Both crew members were working on the luxury Icon of the Seas cruise late on Thursday night when a "personal dispute" erupted onboard. The man repeatedly stabbed the woman, also from South Africa , shortly before 7:30pm, the Royal Bahamas Police Force told He then tried to flee the ship by jumping overboard into the waters off the coast of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. Panicked passengers, who were unaware of the initial attack, desperately tried to help save the man by throwing life rings into the water, reports say. read more in cruise horrors He was found dead just 30 minutes later by onboard medical staff. According to reports, the cruise ship immediately slowed down and turned back after the first alarm was sounded. Data shows the ship's course change northeast of San Salvador Island, roughly 200 miles east of Nassau. Decks were cordoned off while rescue efforts got underway. Most read in The US Sun Pictures show the recovery team just moments after finding the South African and dragging him from the water onto a speedboat. The woman was later found with multiple stab wounds to her upper body, according to police. Cruise ship crew member dies after falling overboard on Icon of the Seas vessel in Caribbean sparking rescue operation She was given urgent help and is now in a stable condition. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: "One of the crew members was injured, was attended to by the onboard medical team, and she is now in stable condition. 'Unfortunately, the other crew member is deceased after he went overboard and was recovered in a search and rescue operation.' The cause of the horror incident was "a personal dispute," they added. Investigations are still ongoing to piece together the deadly events. An autopsy to determine the man's exact cause of death is yet to be completed, according to police. Neither of the crew members have been identified. The Icon of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship standing at 1,196ft long and 219ft wide. It has 20 decks and employs 2,350 international crew members. It comes after a a Brit tourist On another ship, a And a cruise ship passenger 4 Investigations are still ongoing to piece together the deadly events Credit: Alamy
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
My Life: I'll never forget a bare-bottomed bank robber's escape from CUH
'HE'S gone, he's gone.' A pyjama-clad gent gesticulated wildly, piercing the silence of a normally uneventful post-surgical ward. He was markedly alarmed, as was this student nurse. It's not every day you have a patient escape during your shift. To add salt to open (post-surgical) wounds, this wasn't just any patient. Just hours before, this wanted man had undergone surgery for an open fracture to his leg, which he sustained while attempting to outrun Gardaí. Fortunately, for him, his next escape — albeit short-lived — would be more successful. All the while, we had no idea our controversial hero had been surreptitiously knotting bed sheets together for his grand exit. His leap from the hospital window was enough to make Hollywood stuntmen swoon. I'll never forget the view that greeted us as we stared incredulously from the hospital window. The defiant sight of him hopping onto the back of a motorbike will be forever ingrained in my mind. His hospital gown was blowing like grass in a storm. He seemed completely unaware of the faces gazing down at him from above. It was the early 90s so there wasn't a camera phone in sight to capture this defining moment. That image of him riding away, bare-assed to the wind, won't be found on Facebook. It exists now only in our memories. The calm atmosphere on the ward that night gave way to chaos. I was only about 24 at the time so my first instinct was to laugh uncontrollably. The face of the senior nurse on the other hand was etched with terror. I always loved being on with her because she was such a fabulous and deeply conscientious person. She was so deeply conscientious, in fact, that the worry was all-consuming for her. He had tubes coming out of him, which would have fallen out on the motorbike. His injuries required urgent care, but he had left with nothing but a hospital gown. The atmosphere turned heavy. There were gardaí coming to take statements and reports. While our patient was making the most of his freedom, there was no escape for us. News coverage of the manhunt beamed through television screens across the country. Every tabloid featured details of this salacious tale. Artist Úna Keating at her studio in Crookstown, Co. Cork. Picture: David Creedon I don't think there was anything I could have done to foil his escape. For the most part, he had been surrounded by gardaí, but there came a point where they had to leave. I had been asked to keep an eye on him but this wasn't a possibility. His care was my priority but there was no way I could have managed a flight risk too. There were still other patients to tend to after all. In the hours that followed the escape, we waited with bated breath for news of his whereabouts. It was about two days — definitely more than 24 hours — before he was located. We didn't see him again after that. I can only assume his treatment was completed in a more 'secure unit'. It was business as usual after that and the incident went unmentioned. Years rolled by before I bumped into the senior nurse I had been on with that night. We howled with laughter at the memory of his bare bottom. When viewed through a modern lens, it's remarkable to think that the escape was coordinated without mobile phones or technology of any kind. I wouldn't go as far as to say the stunt was admirable, but it was certainly impressive. I often think about where this gentleman might have ended up. My life, after all, took a very different turn. I'm no longer nursing and have now carved out a career as an artist. The possibility that he may have changed his own life for the better fills me with hope. He was only in his 20s at the time, so who knows where he is now? Perhaps, he became a teacher or maybe even a priest. We can only wish the same for his get-away driver. When I cast my mind back to that peculiar night, I laugh to myself because this man was among the easier patients I dealt with. He was quiet post-op, as many patients are. I don't remember him laughing and joking but he was polite. We came across a lot nastier from the public, but funnily enough it was never the criminals. Luckily, 99% of patients are wonderful. Our night with this patient was undoubtedly the most adrenaline-filled night in the post-surgical ward. For the most part, the atmosphere in this part of the hospital was very subdued. I myself became accustomed to a faster pace after transitioning into emergency care where I spent 15 years. Here, I met a whole host of colourful characters including a lovely lady in her 90s who was accidentally thrown out of a dumper truck after her 100-year-old husband pressed the wrong button. 'I was cleaning the gutters,' she told me. Thankfully, she was fine. I couldn't help but laugh at the way she regaled me with the story. From escapees to old ladies, there is one thing that nursing has taught me. Laughter is always, most certainly, the best medicine.
