Father Dies Trying to Drink All 21 Cocktails Offered at His Jamaican Resort
Timothy Southern was reportedly attempting a drinking challenge when he died of alcohol poisoning
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Southern poses with the "Bob Marley Stone" in Jamaica, where the late reggae singer would sit and think of lyrics.A British father died on vacation after attempting to drink all 21 cocktails offered at the Jamaican resort where he was staying, according to ITV News.
Timothy Southern, 53, was on vacation with his family — which included his children — at the Royal Decameron Club Caribbean in Saint Ann, Jamaica, last May, when he met two other guests at the resort who were participating in a drinking challenge.
The goal: finish all 21 cocktails offered on the resort’s bar menu.
Southern, who reportedly had already been drinking brandy and beer before attempting the drinking challenge, reportedly consumed 12 of the bar’s cocktails before returning to his hotel room. The Staffordshire resident then entered into a state of distress — and according to an investigation into his death, his family believes the resort did not do enough in caring for their father.
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Southern reportedly had already consumed beer and brandy before attempting the 21-cocktail drinking challenge.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"He was on his back choking. I put him in the recovery position and screamed for an ambulance,” a member of his family said, according to ITV News. “He was making a gurgling sound. As soon as he was in the recovery position he vomited. I was shouting his name with no response.”
They also believe the hotel should have called an ambulance sooner, according to the report.
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"When the nurse arrived, I said, ‘Had an ambulance been called?’ " the family member recalled. "And she said, 'No.' I thought she would take over. But that was not the case. I noticed he was starting to lose temperature. I checked his pulse and couldn't find it.”
The family member also said that they had to prompt the nurse to treat Southern. "I said, 'Don't just sit there looking at him, start CPR.' She only gave him chest compressions. Maybe if she had known what she was doing, maybe he would still be here.”
"The service and treatment he received was disgusting," the family member added, according to the report.
Southern’s cause of death was determined by a pathologist in Kingston, Jamaica, to be "acute gastroenteritis due to alcohol consumption,” according to a report in The Daily Mail, which adds that full toxicology reports could take three years.
“Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time,” according to the Mayo Clinic. "Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. In some cases, this can lead to a coma and death.”
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Southern’s family has since started a GoFundMe to bring their father’s body back from Jamaica, as they’ve learned his travel insurance doesn’t cover it.
“This leaves us with an impossibly large amount of money to find in order to bring him home and pay for his funeral. We know dad was loved by so many with friends all over the world, the biggest character most would ever come across,” the GoFundMe states, which promises any leftover funds will be donated to the MIND charity.
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