Tribe apologises after British teenager’s death in hallucinogenic ritual
A REMOTE South American tribe has expressed regret to the family of a British backpacker who died after taking their traditional hallucinogenic drugs, an inquest has heard.
Henry Miller quickly fell ill after taking part in a ceremony with a local tribe in Colombia where he drank yage, also known as ayahuasca, which brings on vivid hallucinations and supposedly spiritual experiences.
The inquest into his death heard that ritual leader Shaman Guillermo, his wife Mama Concha, their son and his friend, have since been put on trial by the local indigenous community following Mr Miller’s death.
In a letter to his family, they shared their remorse. It was also revealed the group have been ordered to undergo punishment with nettles after the 19-year-old died in 2014. He had left the UK two months earlier to travel to South America, and was due to begin his studies at the University of Brighton in September 2014.
Avon Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Miller, from Kingsdown, Bristol, had taken part in two ceremonies within three days of each other led by Shaman Guillermo and his wife Mama Concha.
The student, who was interested in Colombian culture, was found dead by a rural road outside Mocoa, the capital of the Putumayo region, on April 23 2014.
After Mr Miller drank the psychedelic brew and fell ill, Shaman Guillermo told his son and a friend to take him to a hospital on a motorcycle.
The court heard that the two men realised Mr Miller was dead en route to the hospital and left him at the roadside hoping his body would be found.
Christopher Deardon, who was also travelling in Colombia with his girlfriend Elena, met Mr Miller while the student was staying at a nearby hostel run by a retired Belgian police officer.
Describing Henry as “a curious young man”, he noted that the Colombian ceremonies were “clearly of interest” to him.
In a statement describing taking the drug the first time, he added: “I was the first one to throw up and have hallucinations. I looked at Elena and Henry but they felt nothing.”
Describing the second ritual, Mr Deardon said Mama Concha invited Mr Miller to “drink a small cup with herbs, to facilitate his reaction to the yage”.
“None of us knew what this was. Then we all drank our cups. I threw up after about 15 minutes, and when I came back, Henry seemed to be feeling the effects straight away.”
Emily Brown, from the Foreign Office, reported the herb was scopolamine, a substance known to have incapacitating effects in large doses.
Ignatius Hughes QC, representing the Miller family, said the family wanted other travellers to be aware of the dangers of taking part in these tribal ceremonies.
“Other young travellers might benefit from being made aware of the small but real dangers inherent in this perfectly lawful practice,” he said.
HM Senior Coroner Maria Voisin recorded a verdict of accidental death and said she would be writing to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office highlighting the inquest’s findings.