Man thankful to be alive
The survivor of a homebrew drinking party gone wrong at Kilikali settlement, Nasinu, has expressed how thankful he was to have survived what he called a near-death experience. Lasaro Natubere, 21, was at home yesterday when a team from the Fiji Sun visited him. He had been discharged from the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, on Tuesday afternoon.
From the group, dead are Menusi Rakoto, 33 who is expected to be buried tomorrow, and Mataiasi Tumaitoga, 21, to be buried today.
They both died at the CWM Hospital in Suva after vomiting blood.
Another man known only as Taniela also survived and was discharged from Vunisea Hospital in Kadavu on Tuesday night. Mr Natubere recalled that he went to the shop that Friday night where he met a group of boys drinking at Nadawa, Nasinu. He drank a glass of homebrew and went home, only to return and sit with the group until it had finished.
He said by then he drank about 10 glasses and they returned to a home close by to pick another bucket of homebrew.
“On the way I was stopped by one of the boys who asked me not to drink, so we went to the shop,” Mr Natubere said. “Matai came to the shop and kept asking me to go with him, but I refused. I was already feeling drunk and went home.” He said on Saturday when he was at work he felt his chest tightening and had a headache.
Mr Natubere said when he returned home he was advised by a group of boys that the homebrew was mixed with a chemical. He said he felt weaker that evening and was rushed to the hospital on Sunday morning.
He had been on drips and believed it was because of quick medical attention that he survived.
He said it was unfortunate the other two men did not survive.
Mr Natubere said he did not understand what was mixed in the drink, but it was a chemical alleged to have been brought from a factory, some kind of a food flavour. His grandmother, Kasanita Liku, 65, said she was hurt and could not understand what had happened.
“I am thankful he survived. At the same time, it is something for parents to understand and know what’s going on in the lives of their children,” she said.
“Do they know what’s happening in their families. I also have a role here in the settlement, when we talk straight about these things some don’t like it, but this has happened. I am so happy. He never brought brew home or mixed it at home nor brought beer. When he was taken to the hospital and returned I could only praise God.
“We are in a war, us Christians are in a war, no matter how wrong our children are we must stand by them and guide them the right way.”
Meanwhile, Mr Rakoto’s family revealed the post-mortem examination results showed he died from extensive acute pulmonary haemorrhage with severe haemothorax.
Police spokesperson Inspector Jokatama Qio said police were still waiting for lab results and the suspected chemical/food flavour had been sent for tests.