Devastated friend of British couple who died after drinking limoncello speaks out on their final hours
A friend of the British woman and her fiancé who died after drinking limoncello has spoken out about his last conversation with the pair.
Greta Marie Otteson and her South African partner Els Arno Quinton were found dead on Boxing Day at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa in Vietnam by hotel workers.
As there were no traumatic injuries, their deaths came as a shock, but it would soon be revealed that the limoncello they had consumed two nights before contained toxic compounds which would kill the couple who thought it was a ‘hangover’.
The travellers were enjoying living in Vietnam after having moved there last February.
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They had gone out for dinner on Christmas Eve at a restaurant and when they got home at approximately 10.00pm, they’d had two bottles of limoncello delivered to their reception desk from a different restaurant.
Investigators believe this ‘homemade’ liqueur was, in fact, laced with a fatal dose of methanol.
A source later revealed that Otteson text her parents, complaining she could see ‘black spots’ in her vision.
The source added to The Times: "A local bar owner and a fantastic friend called over and wanted to take them to hospital but they refused. Sadly I think it was too late by then. Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered, was the source."
That person was Todd Ford, a close friend of the couple who visited them at 10:00pm on Christmas Day, which was 24 hours after the couple drank the laced drink.
He explained that Ottenson had been suffering from what she believed to be ‘the worst hangover ever’ and was in bed drinking coconut juice after having thrown up when he visited them.
He too shared that she had complained of seeing ‘black spots’ in her vision.
Ford explained to The Times that he didn’t see Quinton, but went to check up on him.
He said: “I went up and I knocked. I called his name. I didn’t see any lights on in the room. I got Greta water and went to check on her. I said: 'Do you want me to break the door down?' She was like, 'He probably fell asleep playing his video games and his hangover’s probably even worse than mine'.
“She wasn’t concerned. But I believe in hindsight that he probably had already [died] at that stage because he consumed a lot more than her.”
According to Ford, she said her ‘hangover was subsiding but she had some vision issues that were worrying her, but when asked if they should go to the hospital, she said she would ‘sleep it off.’
Sadly, the pair would be found dead the very next day.
Vietnamese police later confirmed Otteson and Quinton’s deaths were caused by methanol poisoning from contaminated alcohol.
Typically found in antifreeze, paint thinners and windscreen-washer fluid, methanol can cause poisoning if consumed, which can lead to brain damage, organ failure, blindness and death. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, changes to vision and abdominal pain.
Such as the case with the couple, it takes around 24 hours after consuming a methanol laced drink for these symptoms to appear, as the chemical becomes toxic once the body metabolises it.
Otteson’s parents, Susan and Paul, said in a statement: "Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future.
"The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results."
A bartender named Le Tan Gia was arrested earlier this week, and stands accused of using 70 percent medical alcohol (which is only intended for disinfection use) when he prepared the two bottles.
He has since been charged with violating food safety regulations, with a police spokesman saying: "The Criminal Investigation Police Department of Quang Nam Province arrested the suspect on charges of violating food safety regulations.
"The prosecution of the defendant will continue, based on the evidence he served the victims methanol drinks that caused their deaths. Currently, the case is being investigated and handled by the police force in accordance with the law."
Britt Jones