Parents of two Melbourne teenagers hospitalized after methanol poisoning in Laos release new information on situation

Best friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles were on a dream holiday in South East Asia when they became desperately ill after drinking alcoholic drinks containing methanol – a toxic chemical often found in detergents.

The 19-year-old boys were staying at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos when they consumed the tainted drinks, but are now fighting for their lives in separate hospitals in Bangkok as their families wait desperately at their bedsides.

Speaking to the Herald Sun on Wednesday, Bianca Jones’ family said they were going through “every parent’s nightmare” as they thanked the community for the support they had received.

“Our family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support pouring in from all over Australia,” the parents said.

“This is every parent’s nightmare and we want no other family to have to go through the suffering we are going through.”

Ms Bowles’ father also told the paper that the family would like to thank everyone in Australia for all the “support and love” they have received before releasing any new information about his daughter’s condition.

“Now our daughter remains in intensive care, in serious condition. She is on life support,” said the father.

The families’ statements come as friends and teammates from the local football club, where both girls played, prepare to rally in support of the girls.

Beaumaris Football Club released a statement on Wednesday afternoon expressing its support for the girls, their families and members of the community who are dealing with the news.

“Beaumaris Football Club extends its love, best wishes and unconditional support to Holly and Bianca at this difficult time,” club president Nick Geet said.

“Our heartfelt thoughts are also with their parents Samantha and Sean Bowles, Michelle and Mark Jones, and their families and friends. The situation that occurred while the two girls were traveling in Southeast Asia is tragic and sad.”

Mr Heath said the girls were “valuable members” of Beaumaris Football Club, describing how both girls had progressed through the junior program, while Ms Bowles played senior football in the VAFA Women’s Grade B competition this year.

“Both girls have enjoyed exceptional success playing for BFC Premiership teams, first together in 2022, and Holly added another premiership in 2023 by being part of the coveted U18 Girls’ Grand Final winning team,” said he.

“Through their actions and involvement in the women’s and girls’ soccer programs, Holly and Bianca have become beloved and respected members of the Beaumaris Sharks family.”

The president of the football club has provided several phone numbers and email addresses for those struggling with the news to call for support.

“We recognize that Holly and Bianca’s teammates and friends at the club are trying to come to terms with what happened. Now more than ever, the wider Sharks community needs to lean on each other for both comfort and support,” said Mr Heath.

Members of Beaumaris Football Club plan to come together in support of Ms Jones and Ms Bowles in the coming days.

Methanol is a toxic alcohol found in household and industrial products, and consuming just 25-90ml of this chemical can be fatal.

However, the poisonous substance is sometimes added to smuggled alcoholic beverages as a cheap alternative to ethanol (the standard alcohol in alcoholic beverages).

According to Professor David Ranson from Monash University’s Department of Forensic Medicine, it happens in places “worldwide” that there has been a cluster of cases in Southeast Asia in recent years.

“These outbreaks are often associated with the replacement or dilution of alcoholic beverages by adding methanol to make them go further,” Professor Ranson said.

“And it’s obvious that methanol is a cheaper alcohol. It’s an effective industrial cleaner, so it’s easy to get and easy to add to drinks.”

In a dire warning to tourists, Professor Ranson revealed that because it is “smellless, colorless and tasteless” it is actually “impossible” for the average traveler to tell if it is in their drink or not.

It is reported that 10 people were injured as a result of mass methanol poisoning, two Swedish citizens have already died.

The incident prompted the government to update travel advisories for Laos, and the Smartraveller website warned Australian tourists of the dangers of methanol poisoning.