In a shocking incident, a family from Perth, Australia, was served insect killer as juice at a restaurant. The couple Marcus and Michele Lemin had ordered cranberry juice for their daughters at Miky's Italian Restaurant on June 28, as per a report in the New York Post. The incident is now being investigated by health authorities.
However, Hannah and Olivia, aged 11 and 12, were horrified and spat the drink. Michele Lemin said, "My daughters just went to gulp it down and they both spat the cranberry juice out and said 'It's poisoned'. I said don't be silly, and took the glass, and I went to gulp it down and then spat it out."
Now, the worried parents claim they were given a pink mixture of lamp oil and citronella torch. Marcus Lemin smelled the liquid and requested to see the bottle it came from. He said the employees first declined, stating it was only "old cranberry juice."
However, he ultimately got the bottle from the refrigerator. The man said he was given an insecticide with citronella from the beverages refrigerator. The bottle was labelled "plus Bifenthrin" and included a warning, according to the report. "The manager didn't want to give my husband the bottle, and another waiter stood up and told everyone that everything was okay," Michelle said.
The family was rushed to the hospital where they suffered several symptoms and were kept under observation for six hours. The mother continued, "My daughters' ... stomachs were burning, their fingers and hands were tingling. They had a headache ... it was awful."
Twelve-year-old Hannah told 9News that it was "really disgusting, and how you would expect insect repellant to taste". Olivia added, "It felt like somebody had poured fire on your stomach and it felt like you had pins and needles in your arms and legs."
A complaint has been registered with the Health Department and the local council. The restaurant stated that it was investigating the incident. A staff member told 9News the situation was "very concerning". "All about this is under investigation, and when I know exactly (what happened), I will let you know," he said.
