Grieving father of SA expat raises alarm over spiked drinks
A GRIEF stricken father, Gavin Udal from Zululand, has raised the alert for South African expats working abroad after his 27-yearold son died after his drink may have been spiked in a restaurant in Ghana.
Nicholas Udal, who had just become a new father and was based in Latvia with his wife, Dace, and six-week-old son Leo, had been working as an expat contractor at various sites around the world.
Gavin Udal said his son had arrived in Kumasi in Ghana from Mali last Friday to work on drilling equipment.
“On Saturday night Nick went out for dinner with a colleague, Barry, and then they had a game of pool. They had draught beer and we think that the drinks were spiked,” said Udal.
According to the family, they were told Nicholas had gone to the toilet and when he did not reappear, his colleague went to look for him. Both men were found unconscious by restaurant patrons and were rushed to hospital.
“When they got to the first hospital, apparently they did not have the correct equipment, so both of them were taken to a second hospital,” said Udal.
His son died at the second hospital, while his colleague Barry, whose surname was unknown to Udal, is recovering.
“I want expats to be aware and informed. If Nick’s death can save someone’s life, it is worth putting this in the public eye.”
“The authorities in Ghana are still investigating the matter, but they have discovered chemicals were used. Nick’s wallet and personal effects were also missing,” said Udal.
The Udals’ facebook page received hundreds of messages of support throughout this week and his father added, “Having just become a father, Nick embraced being married. He loved the outdoors and he loved his work.”
A memorial service was held in Zululand on Thursday. A family tribute on Facebook read, “We as a family are standing strong together with a never-ending journey ahead – he has gone, but will never be forgotten.”
The Department of International Relations and Co-Operation did not respond to a request for comment.