Boy, 12, Is Taken to the Hospital After Being Mistakenly Served Alcohol at Outback Steakhouse

Brian Brant
·2 min read
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"My heart started beating as I was drinking it," Mekyle Cureton said

<p>Bruce Bennett/Getty</p> An Outback Steakhouse sign

Bruce Bennett/Getty

An Outback Steakhouse sign

  • A 12-year-old boy in Michigan was mistakenly given an alcoholic beverage at an Outback Steakhouse this month

  • Mekyle Cureton ended up being taken to the hospital after he began to feel symptoms

  • Outback Steakhouse said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that their "bartenders and staff have been retrained to ensure this does not happen again"

A 12-year-old boy was accidentally served an alcoholic beverage at an Outback Steakhouse in Michigan this month.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, an Outback Steakhouse spokesperson said they take the situation "very seriously and are thankful that the child involved was not seriously harmed."

Mekyle Cureton told Fox affiliate WJBK that he typically orders a virgin strawberry daiquiri at a Livonia location but said that this drink "didn't taste normal" and that his "heart started beating as I was drinking it."

Related: 29-Year-Old Man Dies After Falling from Kentucky Bridge, Authorities Believe Alcohol Was a Factor

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Since his family doesn't drink, they said they weren't able to tell if the drink had alcohol in it, so they flagged down their server, and a bartender confirmed the mistake.

Related: At Least 70 People Dead in Mexico After Drinking Tainted Alcohol: Report

While the restaurant apologized and comped the meal, the boy ended up in the hospital. He was diagnosed with accidental exposure to alcohol and accidental ingestion, according to the report.

He was given Tylenol and told to rest, per the outlet. The next day, he had his first hangover.

"We have taken the appropriate disciplinary action, and all our bartenders and staff have been retrained to ensure this does not happen again," the company's spokesperson told PEOPLE.

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Read the original article on People.