Man died ‘after cleaning fluid was left in beer lines at his local pub’
A man died when he drank beer that is believed to have contained toxic cleaning chemicals.
Connor Sebastian, 31, and two others started vomiting violently very soon after swallowing their drinks at the Burke Street Pub in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
A bartender called emergency services at around 8.20pm on November 9.
He told a 911 dispatcher: ‘All three of these people drank the exact same beer and immediately began vomiting. They said it was burning their throats and burning their mouths.
‘On Tuesdays, people come in here. A contracted company comes in here to clean our beer lines out, and I think that they left the cleaner in one of the beer lines.’
Connor was taken to hospital with the other two people but later died.
The owner of Burke Street Pub, Tiffany Howell, released a statement that read: ‘Burke Street Pub extends its condolences to the family.’
Mark Bowman, president of Caffey Distributing, which cleaned the lines, said: ‘We are investigating the matter and have no further comment at this time.’
While it is unclear which chemicals were used, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are two caustic compounds used alone or in conjunction to clean beer lines.
They may cause severe burns in the mouth, throat and stomach and consumption can be fatal.
Autopsy results for Sebastian are pending and North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control System says it is not investigating the incident, as it is thought to have been an accident.
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