Perth man urgently rushed back to Australia after being poisoned by Bali cocktail
A desperate Perth mum, with the help of Facebook, has managed to save her teenage son from alcohol poisoning in Bali.
Bailey Chalmers, 19, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday he’s recovering in Perth hospital’s emergency department after suffering methanol poisoning.
“We have all heard it before, ‘Don’t drink spirits in Bali’... but as we were at a very reputable bar, it was thought that the $14 cocktails would be perfectly fine... right?” he wrote.
It turns out, Bailey was wrong.
“The morning after I woke up with a pretty typical hangover and was of course toey to go out with the boys again,” he wrote.
“Until the real symptoms started kicking in. I had the most excruciating hangover, with severe body aches, difficulty breathing and blurred vision. Upon visiting a medical centre, I was sent to Bali’s International Hospital (BIMC) immediately.”
Bailey wrote his travel insurance wouldn’t help as it would take days to recover the costs and he needed treatment immediately. Meanwhile the hospitals wouldn’t take him without cash upfront.
Bailey’s mother Danielle Chalmers realised her son was in trouble and got in touch with Just Don't Drink Spirits in Bali and its creator Colin Ahearn.
The page warns people about the threats of drinking spirits in Bali. Mr Ahearn also works with the LIAM Foundation, which was founded in memory of Perth man Liam Davies who died from drinking methanol-tainted vodka in 2013.
Ms Chalmers told Nine News she received advice from Mr Ahern on how to help her son.
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He told her to tell Bailey he needed to drink Australian Duty Free store vodka to counter the effects of the methanol poisoning with ethanol.
Bailey was flown back to Perth to receive further treatment and has called his ordeal a “frightening experience”.
Mr Ahearn told Nine News things could have been much worse.
"I have zero doubt that as a minimum we have saved his sight and possibly stopped him from organ damage," he said.
Bailey added a doctor informed him he’s lucky to be alive.
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