A British grandmother suffered a fatal heart attack after drinking a tea laced with a psychedelic drug while on the trip of a lifetime. Maureen Rainford, 54, was on holiday in Bolivia when the tragedy happened.
Her daughter Rochel, 32, was told her mum had suffered a “medical emergency” after drinking Ayahuasca in a tea. The substance, also known as yage, is a blend of two plants and is illegal in the UK, the US and many other countries, The Mirror reports.
It is typically handed out at ceremonies by a shaman – and causes reactions such as visions, energy and euphoria. Maureen, from Romford, east London, had booked the £800 retreat at the Ayahuasca and San Pedro Pisatahua Retreat in the Bolivian Amazon last month.
A resort official told Rochel that minutes after drinking the tea, Maureen complained about feeling unwell, with her heart and breathing rate plummeting. Despite CPR efforts, Maureen died one hour later – before a doctor arrived.
Rochel told The Sun on Sunday: “There should be a trained medic on standby when hallucinogenic drugs are being handed out in a remote area. Eric [a worker at the retreat] tried to insist that she must be cremated in Bolivia as her body would decompose, but I did not want any cover-up.”
Rochel told the newspaper that her mum’s body was returned after she contacted the British consulate in Bolivia. She revealed a post-mortem confirmed her mum suffered a fatal heart attack.
She added Maureen’s funeral was held last week, saying: “I want to raise awareness about these places for people tempted by glossy brochures selling a dream.”
A spokesman for the retreat claimed the woman’s passing was “due to a medical emergency that was not related to Ayahuasca”. They added: “Our heart goes out to her family.”
After Maureen’s death, her loved ones created a fundraiser to help her family. It reads: “Maureen… Our dear colleague and for some of us….. a close friend, died suddenly while on a ‘wellness retreat’ in South America. Maureen’s love of travel and her curiosity took her to the Bolivian Amazon to detox from the noise of London and work for 10 days.
“It was a trip she was eagerly looking forward to, sharing her excitement with everyone with her usual vibrancy and zest for life and travel…a time for reflection and personal development. We waited for her return to share her stories, with fascination and expectation; that the long distances she had travelled to experience this retreat would be reflected in a re-invigorated Maureen…
“We have organised this GoFundMe to collect funds for her immediate family to ease any financial burden and in Maureen’s memory. This small gesture also allows us to remember Maureen for the wonderful person she was and keep her children and grandchildren in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
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