RETREAT TRAGEDY Woman, 53, dead and two others rushed to hospital after ‘consuming poisonous mushroom drink’ at Oz health retreat
A WOMAN has died and two others are in hospital after allegedly consuming a poisonous mushroom drink in Australia.
The 53-year-old became ill and went into cardiac arrest after "ingesting a drink" at a health retreat.
Emergency services rushed to the scene after she stopped breathing but couldn't save her.
Investigators are looking into a mushroom-based drink that she and two other women may have had at Soul Barn, an "Alternative & Holistic Health Service" in the town of Clunes, Victoria.
They haven't ruled out other potentially poisonous substances.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia: "It is believed a woman was at a retreat on Fraser Street when she became ill after ingesting a drink about 12pm."Investigations remain ongoing and police will prepare a report for the Coroner."
The services offered at Soul Barn include facials advertised as being made with "wild foraged plants".
The business announced it was closed on Sunday after Saturday's horror incident.
There is no suggestion from police that Soul Barn was involved in the woman's death or the hospitalisation of two others.Last summer Victoria was rocked by an infamous mushroom poisoning case when Erin Patterson, 48, was suspected of killing her family.
She invited Gail and Don Patterson, her former in-laws, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian to her home in Leongatha, for lunch.
After eating the meal - which allegedly included poisonous mushrooms - the guests became violently ill and Gail, 70, Heather, 66, and Don, 70, later died.
Ian, a pastor, survived and gave his first sermon since the horrific tragedy in February.
He said: "Let me encourage you to keep on going.
"The way is sometimes hard, but God is good. He is with us."
His nephew's wife Erin was charged in November with three counts of murder.
She was also hit with five counts of attempted murder - reportedly including on her then husband's life.
Saturday's tragedy comes just weeks after a health department warning told people to look out for notorious death cap mushrooms.They said yellow-staining mushrooms are also deadly, and very hard to distinguish from safe shop-bought ones.
Dr Evelyn Wong, chief health officer, said just one death cap mushroom is enough to kill an adult.
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