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Victorian footballer fights for life after taking unknown substance on holiday

A young footballer is fighting for life in hospital after taking an unknown substance during an end-of-season trip on the Gold Coast.

Riki Stephens, 27, had wrapped up his first season with Heathcote in central Victoria, when he travelled to Queensland for a holiday with a group of senior players.

Riki Stephens had travelled with teammates to the Gold Coast for an end-of-season holiday. Photo: Facebook.
Riki Stephens had travelled with teammates to the Gold Coast for an end-of-season holiday. Photo: Facebook.

He is one of 16 people who were rushed to hospital last weekend after taking what was initially believed to be the ‘zombie drug' flakka.

Police have since downplayed fears of flakka sweeping the Gold Coast, saying they do not believe that the mystery drug that left Mr Stephens in a coma was the notorious substance.

It’s claimed Mr Stephens and some of his teammates started to hallucinate after taking the unknown substance.

Mr Stephens’ family is reportedly hosting a bedside vigil for him as the plumber fights for his life, The Herald Sun reports.


Mr Stephens' friends have taken to Facebook to share tributes to their mate.

Police are awaiting a toxicology report to formally identify the substance, which led to users displaying bizarre behaviour.

Heathcote Football Club officials are waiting to speak with the rest of the team to find out what happened on the night.

Players returned to Victoria on Monday and were offered counseling.


HORROR WEEKEND: HOW PARTY DRUG SWEPT THE GOLD COAST

Saturday, just after midnight: Paramedics treat three males celebrating an end of year football trip at the Islander Hotel. One of the men went into respiratory distress and remains in a critical condition.
Saturday 7:39am: Four men and one woman were found drug affected at Mermaid Waters residence.
Sunday 12:37am: 24-year-old woman found ‘hallucinating’ at Shooters nightclub.
1:27am: Another woman needed to be sedated on Orchid Avenue.
2:09am: 22-year-old man treated on Cavill Avenue.
2:42am: Paramedics called to Sin City nightclub to attend to 18-year-old woman.
2:36am: Another reveller treated at Melbas nightclub.
3:11am: Ambulances services return to Sin City to treat 20-year-old woman.
4:30am: 25-year-old man found drug affected inside hotel room on Cavill Avenue.
• Another man was treated by paramedics in the suburb of Labrador, but had previously been partying in the Surfers Paradise area.

15 others are recovering after the drug overdoses, sparking fears the unknown substance could have a deadly impact on Schoolies celebrations.

The 16 overdoses happened within a 48-hour period, with senior paramedic Stephen Burns saying it was the worst he had seen in his career.

“This is the largest cohort of similar drug overdose incidents I've see in the 24 years I've been working on the Gold Coast,” he said.

Riki Stephens is fighting for life in hospital after taking an unknown substance last weekend. Photo: Facebook.
Riki Stephens is fighting for life in hospital after taking an unknown substance last weekend. Photo: Facebook.

QAS Director of Media and Communications Michael Augustus issued a warning to young revellers ahead of the Gold Coast 600 next weekend and Schoolies Week in November.

"There is no such thing as a party drug, these are simply dangerous drugs. They can and will kill," Mr Augustus told Yahoo7.

"We’re certainly raising education that there's some stuff on the streets that are causing problems."

Earlier this week QAS Operations supervisor Paul Young said most of the overdose victims were experiencing the same symptoms.

Horror night on the Gold Coast: paramedics attended to 16 instances of drug overdoses on the weekend. Photo: 7 News.
Horror night on the Gold Coast: paramedics attended to 16 instances of drug overdoses on the weekend. Photo: 7 News.

“Very agitated, doing things they wouldn't normally do, not rational with their decision making at all,” he said.

Those symptoms are similar to the side effects of flakka, a synthetic substance that gives the user a euphoric feeling but has ended with instances of murder or users leaping from balconies.

It is often referred to as the "zombie drug".