AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND – A 55-year-old man collapsed unconscious in his home after drinking beer and eating durian. Paramedics found him with foam at the mouth.
The man had been drinking beer since morning. Around 4pm he ate about half a durian fruit, then complained of tiredness.
His mother checked on him and found he was not responding. Rescue workers later found him vomiting, with foam at the mouth and unconscious.
Emergency call from Ro Tao Than village
The emergency call came from a house in Ro Tao Than (Moo 4), Klong Suan Phlu subdistrict, near Wat Phanan Choeng in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. Helpers from the Ayutthaya Ruamjai Association provided first aid.
Paramedics rushed the 55-year-old to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital for urgent treatment. Inside the house, crews found beer bottles, beer crates, and a partly eaten durian fruit.
Brother drank beer and ate durian too
The patient’s 50-year-old brother said both men had been drinking beer together since morning. He also ate durian but suffered no symptoms.
I ate durian too but I had no problems at all.
said the brother.
The 55-year-old had come from Bangkok to visit his mother in Ayutthaya. He was chatting normally, said the durian tasted good, then lay down.
Mother saw collapse with her own eyes
The 71-year-old mother said she witnessed the collapse directly. Her son gradually slumped backward, got foam at the mouth, and lost consciousness.
He slowly tilted back, foam came from his mouth, and then he was unconscious.
said the mother.
Later the family learned the man has brain cancer. He remained unconscious and under close monitoring in hospital. Medics could not immediately determine if the collapse was caused by durian and alcohol or by the pre-existing condition.