Latest news with #Nana Backpackers Hostel
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Laos poisoning victim: I saw a kaleidoscopic light, then went blind
A British backpacker who went blind after drinking contaminated alcohol in Laos has recalled seeing a 'kaleidoscopic light' before losing his vision. Calum Macdonald was on his first solo holiday abroad when he became a victim of methanol poisoning in the town of Vang Vieng last November. Six people died including Simone White, 28, a lawyer from Orpington, in south-east London. Mr Macdonald told the BBC that after the blinding light subsided, he sat down with friends at his hotel and asked for a light to be turned on. When they told him it was already on, he realised he had lost his vision. Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, he recalled being offered free whisky and vodka shots at the Nana Backpackers Hostel. He said: 'The point at which I really started to notice some strange side effects was when we briefly got off the bus to cross the border into Vietnam, and we went through the border office. 'We had to fill out a number of forms to get across to the other side – and at that point, sort of my entire vision was engulfed in this blinding white light. I remember having this kaleidoscopic blinding light in my eyes to the point at which I couldn't see anything. 'And I just thought, you know, this is very strange. I couldn't actually see where I was walking.' He said the white light had subsided by the time his group arrived at a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. 'My friends and I were sitting in the room and I said to my friends: 'Why are we sitting in the dark here? Let's turn on a light.' And they informed me that the light was, in fact, already on.' Mr Macdonald was taken to hospital, but struggled to breathe during the journey to the point where he could 'barely get my words out'. He said a number of tests were carried out in Laos but it was not until he got back to England that he was told 'it was definitely related to something I'd been drinking'. Mr Macdonald wants more information about methanol poisoning to become available, especially to students who might be preparing to go on a gap year. He said: 'I think I definitely feel a sense of responsibility as someone who's been lucky enough to survive this, to try and get the message out. Because I know certainly, if I'd known about it, I wouldn't be in this situation. 'And I know I have a lot of friends that have also done similar sort of gap years in travelling around even that particular area. And so definitely I think it's quite important.' Mr Macdonald said he later found out that two Danish girls he had met that evening had died. Australian citizens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, and an American man also died. Mr Macdonald added: 'I've had the opportunity to speak to a number of other families that have been affected by this, and they're far more knowledgeable and have been campaigning for awareness for a lot longer than I have been involved. What they tend to say generally is that sometimes the advice isn't put in strong enough terms. 'And so I think, I guess if I was to put out a recommendation to people, although I'm certainly not an expert or a medical professional, I would probably say that if you did want to drink alcohol in some of the affected countries, probably just to avoid spirits entirely.' Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a byproduct of poorly-distilled home-brew liquor and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently. A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'Methanol poisoning and counterfeit alcohol are a serious problem in some parts of the world and we continue to work closely with the relevant local authorities and the travel industry to tackle this complex issue. 'We seek to make clear the risks to British people travelling abroad and we raise awareness through our travel advice and Travel Aware campaign.'
Times
a day ago
- Times
Laos methanol victim: I saw a blaze of light, then I was blind
A British man who went blind after he was the victim of a methanol poisoning while travelling in Laos has described seeing a 'kaleidoscopic blinding light' as he began to lose his vision. Calum Macdonald, 23, was one of several victims of the suspected mass methanol poisonings in the popular tourist hub Vang Vieng in the southeast Asian country last year, which killed six people, including Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent. Police in Laos have previously detained several people in connection with the deaths. Macdonald said he was with friends at the Nana Backpackers Hostel, where he and other guests were offered free whisky and vodka shots, which he mixed with soft drinks. He said it was only after crossing the border into Vietnam and stepping off an overnight bus the next day that he suspected something might be wrong. He told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: 'We went through the border office — we had to fill out a number of forms to get across to the other side — and at that point, my entire vision was engulfed in this blinding white light. I couldn't actually see where I was walking.' He then arrived in his hotel room with friends in Hanoi. 'I said to them: 'Why are we sitting in the dark? Someone should turn a light on.'' The lights were already on. Macdonald said he was taken to hospital and during the journey 'really started to struggle to breathe' and could 'barely get my words out'. He said a number of tests were carried out initially but it was not until he got back to England, where he was taken back to hospital, that they 'really indicated that it was definitely related to something I'd been drinking'. Macdonald said he is now speaking out as he wants information to be available to people about methanol poisoning, especially students who might be preparing to go on a gap year. • If schools taught dangers of methanol, my friend might be alive He said: 'I think I definitely feel a sense of responsibility as someone who's been lucky enough to survive this, to try and get the message out. Because I know certainly, if I'd known about it, I wouldn't be in this situation. 'I've had the opportunity to speak to a number of other families that have been affected by this, and they're far more knowledgeable and have been campaigning for awareness for a lot longer than I have been involved.' Macdonald said he knew two of the other victims, Danish girls he had met on a night out, who both died after the suspected poisoning. Alongside the families of three other British people who died after methanol poisonings in southeast Asia, Macdonald is calling on the Foreign Office to be clearer about the dangers people face when booking holidays in countries where methanol poisoning is a concern. 'I think it would be nice even if we could get some more information directly into universities, because I think that's the age of people that are really considering doing these kinds of trips. I think that would be a great thing,' Macdonald said. Methanol is a type of alcohol commonly found in cleaning products, fuel, and antifreeze. It is similar to ethanol, which is used for alcoholic drinks, but is more toxic to humans. Alcoholic drinks can become contaminated with methanol if they are manufactured poorly. • Last hours of couple killed by limoncello, by friend who saw them It is a common problem with cheap spirits in southeast Asia, where hundreds of people are poisoned each year, according to the charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). While some people suffer normal hangovers the next day, and symptoms such as dizziness, tiredness, headaches, and nausea, others suffer more serious problems including seizures and blurry vision. In the most severe cases, it can lead to blindness, leave victims in comas, or result in death. As little as 30ml of methanol can be fatal to humans, according to MSF. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'Methanol poisoning and counterfeit alcohol are a serious problem in some parts of the world and we continue to work closely with the relevant local authorities and the travel industry to tackle this complex issue. 'We seek to make clear the risks to British people travelling abroad and we raise awareness through our travel advice and Travel Aware campaign.'
