In 2022, Kirsty McKie, 38, tragically passed away in Bali after consuming a spoiled bottle of limoncello.
A mother is raising awareness after her daughter’s death was caused by a contaminated bottle of limoncello. Ceramic artist Kirsty McKie was residing in Bali when she inadvertently drank the poisoned alcohol during a casual evening with a friend in 2022.
Originally from Stockport, 38-year-old Kirsty was laid to rest back in her hometown a month following her demise, but it took her family several months to uncover the cause. Pathologist reports eventually confirmed her death was due to methanol poisoning.
A former freelance TV producer and filmmaker, Kirsty had been living in the tourist haven for eight years before the incident. Aware of the dangers of counterfeit alcohol through her fiancé’s work in the hospitality sector, she habitually sourced her drinks from high-end, credible suppliers. She attempted to sleep off what she assumed was merely a severe hangover.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, her mother Margaret is now dedicated to raising crucial awareness with the hope of saving lives. She cautions people against consuming spirits in certain countries, even if sealed and purchased from stores, due to the risk of them being secretly tampered with, stating: “There’s no way to tell. It can happen to anyone.”
Margaret, aged 66, expressed: “It took months before we received a diagnosis of what caused her death. We were clueless about the cause of her demise. Her friend, who also fell ill, recovered thinking it was nothing more than a severe hangover.”
“We repatriated Kirsty to the UK and conducted her funeral a month after her passing, still without any answers. The confirmation of methanol poisoning came much later. A pathologist in Bali preserved samples under laboratory conditions until they were tested, which is when we finally learned the truth.”
It’s estimated that methanol poisoning has been linked to more than 14,000 deaths worldwide since 1998. In a notable incident in 2024, six individuals, including backpacker Simone White, tragically perished after consuming methanol-laced alcohol at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos.
The UK Foreign Office advises travelers about the dangers of drinking counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks from an extensive list of sixteen countries – and the symptoms to look out for through their ‘Know the Signs of Methanol Poisoning’ campaign.
Since Kirsty’s passing, Margaret, alongside other affected families, has been advocating for change. They aim to raise awareness about the potentially lethal risks of methanol poisoning. Margaret is also determined to highlight the key symptoms so that victims don’t dismiss their condition as just a severe hangover.
Prominent tourist destinations such as Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand are notorious for the dangers of encountering spirits in drinks and cocktails in bars that are contaminated. Genuine discarded bottles are also known to have been resealed and sold by criminals using methanol in spirits to reduce costs.
Like ethanol, methanol is a colorless and flammable liquid with a similar smell. It can appear in any alcoholic beverage but it’s more commonly found in drinks with higher alcohol content, such as spirits, and traditionally brewed drinks.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
