A British woman and her fiancé were found dead in a Vietnamese hotel on Boxing Day after drinking tainted alcohol, it was claimed this evening.
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her partner Arno Els Quinton, 36, went out for dinner on Christmas Eve before returning home at 10pm and ordering two bottles of 'homemade' limoncello from another restaurant.
They were later found dead in separate rooms by shocked resort staff at the hotel the couple had been running for 10 months.
Vietnamese police have since confirmed that their deaths were caused by methanol poisoning, believed to be from the limoncello.
According to a source close to the family, Mrs Otteson sent a message to her parents on Christmas Day saying she had 'the worst hangover ever' and that she was seeing 'black spots' in her vision.
The couple, who had moved to Vietnam in February last year, decided to try to 'sleep it off' rather than seek medical attention.
A local bar owner and a wonderful friend called and wanted to take them to the hospital, but they refused. Unfortunately, I think it was too late then,” the source told the Times.
“Police forensics determined that the delivered limoncello was the source.”
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her partner Arno Els Quinton, 36, went out for dinner on Christmas Eve before returning home at 10pm and ordering two bottles of 'homemade' limoncello from another restaurant
They were later found dead in separate rooms by shocked resort staff at the hotel the couple had been running for 10 months
Vietnamese police have since confirmed that their deaths were caused by methanol poisoning, believed to be from the limoncello delivered to the couple's villa (pictured)
In a photo posted online, the restaurant's menu states that the lemon liqueur is called 'homemade' and costs VND85,000 per shot, which is around £2.70.
Five weeks earlier, six people, including 28-year-old Simone White, a British lawyer, died after drinking shots laced with methanol at a backpacking hotspot in Laos, the landlocked country bordering Vietnam.
Ms Otteson, believed to be from Wales, is said to have been found lying lifeless in her bed in room 101 before officers burst into Mr Quinton's locked room and found him also dead.
A close friend of Mr Quinton had sent him a voice message just hours before his tragic death.
The friend – who asked not to be named – said he sounded 'super happy and excited about Christmas'.
“I think their plans were just to be together and have experiences [Christmas] in a new country. It's very tragic'.
Friends of the couple flooded social media with heartfelt tributes, with one saying: 'Greta loved Arno unconditionally and was his foundation, giving him the freedom to do what he needed to do without a shaky foundation.'
He went on to say, “There are two different things that are so prominent in my mind and that is her smile and how much love they have all the time. [threw] against each other, no matter who was around.
The couple was reportedly engaged in December before they were found dead
The pair were found dead in separate rooms by shocked resort staff who arrived to clean the property
Both people had registered for a long-term temporary stay in the tourist villa from July 4 this year and were said to have gotten engaged in December.
“They celebrated each other there and I'm sure they will continue to do so wherever they are.”
Mr Quinton's friend Dayle Visser wrote online: 'Rest in peace my brother. Thank you for always being the fierce friend that you were. You have saved me many times.
“You were real and lived harder than most people could ever dream of. I love you and I will always miss you.'
A woman on
According to a report by Vietnam News, both individuals had registered for long-term temporary stay at the tourist villa as of July 4 this year and were said to have gotten engaged in December.
Following the tragic incident and amid investigations, police cordoned off the rooms while they investigated the deaths.
Travel enthusiast Ms Otteson had previously lived in Dubai, where she met Mr Quinton. The couple was together for at least three years.
She was a digital strategist who led a social media and content marketing agency called Not Sorry Socials. Mr. Quinton was a barista, musician and streamer.
Travel enthusiast Ms Otteson had previously lived in Dubai where she met Mr Quinton (pictured)
Ms. Otteson (pictured) was a digital strategist who led a social media and content marketing agency called Not Sorry Socials
The devastating news came just days after the couple surprised their families with a romantic video about their engagement on YouTube.
It featured a montage of clips showing the couple holding hands and walking through Hoi An, Vietnam, with Ms Otteson wearing a white dress.
'This shoot was charged with so much emotion and reminded us how powerful the union of two souls can be. We will miss you great souls,” video company Red Eye Studios captioned the clip.
In the clip, Mr Quinton reveals the pair met in the Middle East before moving to Vietnam in a life change he described as 'fun', 'crazy' and 'insane'.
