I saw a kaleidoscopic light after drinking free shots in Laos – then I went blind

A British backpacker left blind after drinking tainted alcohol which killed six fellow tourists in Laos has spoken out about his ordeal for the first time.

Calum Macdonald, 23, survived a mass poisoning at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the southeast Asian country’s popular destination of Vang Vieng last November.

Guests were offered free shots of vodka and whiskey, which Calum accepted and mixed with soft drinks.

He continued his travels with his group the following day and made it to the border before noticing strange effects to his vision.

The 23-year-old told BBC Breakfast: ‘I remember having this sort of kaleidoscopic, blinding light in my eyes and to the point at which I couldn’t see anything.

‘[We agreed] it was strange but we thought it was food poisoning and the light I was seeing was some kind of sensitivity.’

It was only once his group reached a hotel across the border in Vietnam that he realised he had gone blind.

He added: ‘We were sitting in the hotel room, my friends and I, and I said to them: “Why are we sitting in the dark? Someone should turn a light on.” The lights were already on.’

The booze was contaminated with methanol, a toxic alcohol used in products like antifreeze and varnish which can be lethal if consumed.

The substance can be created accidentally in the making of bootleg alcohol, which many poor countries such as Laos have struggled to stamp out.

British lawyer Simone White, 28, died after sharing six shots with a friend at the hostel bar.

Two Danish women aged 20 and 21, two 19-year-old Australians and a 57-year-old American also died.

Calum is working with the families of three other Brits who died from methanol poisoning in South East Asia to raise awareness.

They have demanded the Foreign Office to issue clearer warnings about the dangers.

They include the family of Simone, whose friend and travel companion Bethany Clarke has spearheaded a petition to have British schools teach pupils about the dangers of methanol in PHSE.

Bethany, 28, told Metro in April about the ‘devastating’ ordeal of surviving the poisoning while her friend died.

The Nana hostel reopened in June with a new name and new branding, according to reports.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.