53-year-old British father dies in Jamaica after trying to drink all 21 cocktails on pool bar menu
A British father died in Jamaica after trying to drink all 21 cocktails on the menu at a resort pool bar, an inquest heard.
Timothy Southern, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, had drunk 12 cocktails when he went to his room at the Royal Decameron Club Caribbean, St. Anne’s.
The 53-year-old man was on vacation with his sister, children and various family members when disaster struck in May 2022.
After setting off the alarm clock, loved ones rushed to Timothy’s room.
One of them recounted his investigation: “He was suffocating on his back. I laid him down and called for an ambulance.
He made a gurgling sound. As soon as he was on his side, he threw up. I called his name with no response.
Timothy Southern, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, is pictured lying on top of the famous Bob Marley stone at the late reggae artist’s mausoleum. It is said that Marley slept on a rock when he was looking for inspiration
The 53-year-old man was resting in a hotel with his sister, children and other relatives when the disaster occurred in May 2022.
“When the nurse arrived I said an ambulance had been called and she said no. I think she will take over. But it wasn’t like that.
“I noticed he was starting to lose temperature. I checked his pulse and couldn’t find it.
“She said he had a pulse. I started to lose it. I got a full look at his face and I thought he was dead.
“I said, ‘Don’t sit there and look at him, start CPR.’
“She just squeezed his chest. If she had known what she was doing, he might still be here. The service and treatment he received was disgusting.
An investigation revealed that Timothy had already been drinking cognac and beer the morning he met two Canadian ladies who have been trying to complete 21 cocktail problems before midnight for fun on each of their birthdays.
A pathologist in Kingston, Jamaica, cited “acute gastroenteritis due to alcohol” as the cause of death.
But the inquest heard it could take three years for the toxicology stories to come back from Jamaica again.
Staffordshire coroner Emma Serrano has dominated alcohol-related deaths.
Staffordshire Coroner Emma Serrano has ruled his death in Jamaica alcohol-related
Following his death, Mr Southern’s household raised virtually £10,000 via GoFundMe to get him back to the UK after discovering that the holiday insurance cover he believed he had through his financial institution didn’t actually cover him.
The household statement reads: “As you all probably know; sadly our father, Timmy Southern, passed away while on holiday in Jamaica.
“Unfortunately after looking up his insurance we found out that his bank doesn’t actually cover him (as he originally thought).
“That leaves us with an impossibly large amount of money to find to bring him home and pay for his funeral.
“We know Dad was loved by so many with friends all over the world and is the greatest character most will ever meet.
“We hope that by doing this we will try to raise as much money as possible to bring him home so we can say goodbye as a family. Anything left over from the money raised goes to the charity MIND.’
