A British mother has died after drinking tea laced with a psychedelic drug during a retreat in Bolivia.
Maureen Rainford, 54, collapsed after drinking Ayahuasca, a substance also known as yage, which is illegal in the UK, US and many other countries.
The mum-of-three from Romford had booked an £800 retreat at the Ayahuasca and San Pedro Pisatahua Retreat in the Bolivian Amazon last month, according to her family.
Rochel, Maureen’s 32-year-old daughter, was informed by a resort official that her mother experienced a “medical emergency” during the retreat.
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She was also told that her mother started feeling unwell minutes after drinking the tea, with her heart rate and breathing rapidly declining. Despite attempts to resuscitate her, Maureen sadly passed away an hour later, before medical help could arrive.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Rochel said: “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 disclosed to the paper that after reaching out to the British consulate in Bolivia, they sent back her mum’s body. She tragically explained that a post-mortem indicated her mother succumbed to a heart attack and that Maureen had already been laid to rest last week, reports the Mirror.
She said: “I want to raise awareness about these places for people tempted by glossy brochures selling a dream.”
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A representative of the resort insisted that Maureen’s death was “due to a medical emergency that was not related to Ayahuasca.”
They expressed their condolences, stating: “Our heart goes out to her family.”
The website of the spiritual retreat boasts “10-Day Plant Medicine Diet” packages beginning at $995 (£800). It describes guests being greeted with fresh organic Amazonian produce upon arrival.
Starting from the second day, the schedule includes an offering to Pachamama – Mother Earth – preempting the commencement of “La Dieta” (diet). According to their online literature, the participants then undergo eight to 10 days of a shamanic diet aimed at cleansing the body and clarifying the mind.
(Image: Getty Images)
This dietary regime shuns intense tastes or seasonings and is composed of local staples like fish, veggies, fruits, grains, and eggs. The retreat’s guidance suggests: “The menu can be a struggle for some and it requires sacrifice. Guests will not go hungry but they may be forced to re-evaluate their relationship to food and nutrition.”
After the sudden death of Maureen, her heartbroken friends and colleagues have set up a GoFundMe page to support her family.
It states: “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…”
It adds: “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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