A man died after attempting to drink all 21 cocktails on a Jamaican bar’s menu.
The United Kingdom vacationer finished 12 out of 21 drinks as part of a challenge before he died in his hotel room at the Royal Decameron Club Caribbean in Saint Ann, Jamaica in May 2022, according to New York Post.
Man dies after trying to drink all 21 cocktails on menu on Jamaican vacation https://t.co/KrDaV0Q8uw pic.twitter.com/EAYi7lduiV
— New York Post (@nypost) June 27, 2023
Timothy Southern’s death was attributed to “acute gastroenteritis due to alcohol consumption,” a pathologist in Kingston said. The incident was ruled as an alcohol-related death by Staffordshire-area coroner Emma Serrano, according to ITV News.
An investigation discovered that the 53-year-old drank brandy and beer throughout the morning before partaking in the 21 cocktail challenge. (RELATED: Man Allegedly Shot Bargoer In The Head After Buying Him A Drink)
Southern met two Canadian women celebrating a birthday later in the day. The two told Southern about their intent to complete the 21 cocktail challenge as part of their festivities, and he decided to try the challenge himself.
It is unknown how fast Southern ingested his 12 drinks.
Southern’s family accompanied him on the holiday trip. He was joined by his children, sister and other relatives. They expressed dissatisfaction at emergency services’ attempts to revive Southern.
“He was on his back choking. I put him in the recovery position and screamed for an ambulance. He was making a gurgling sound. As soon as he was in the recovery position he vomited. I was shouting his name with no response,” an unidentified family member said.
The relative explained that the responding nurse was not adequately trained to provide life-saving procedures.
“When the nurse arrived I said had an ambulance been called and she said ‘no.’ I thought she would take over. But that was not the case. I noticed he was starting to lose temperature. I checked his pulse and couldn’t find it,” the family member said. “She said he had a pulse. I was starting to lose it. I got a full look at his face and I thought he had passed away.”
Southern’s relatives claim the nurse only gave him chest compressions rather than CPR. They believe that their family member could have survived if not for the botched emergency response.
“I said, ‘Don’t just sit there looking at him, start CPR.’ She only gave him chest compressions. Maybe if she had known what she was doing, maybe he would still be here,” the family member said. “The service and treatment he received was disgusting.”
The probe into Southern’s death could take years, due to a delay in receiving toxicology reports from Jamaica.
Family members have a GoFundMe to help pay for Southern’s funeral.