A Perth mother and her two daughters spent hours in hospital after they were allegedly served insect repellant instead of juice at a restaurant in Nedlands.
Michelle Lemin said she ordered cranberry juice for her daughters Hannah and Oliva at Miky’s Italian Restaurant in Nedlands.
“The cranberry juice came, and as usual my daughters went to gulp it down, and they both spat it out and said ‘it’s poisoned!'” Michele claims.
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“I was really scared of what it was, and I was scared I was gonna die,” Olivia Lemin, 11, said.
The mother then took a sip herself, sparking panic among the family.
“The manager didn’t want to give my husband the bottle, and another waiter stood up and told everyone that everything was okay,” Michelle claimed.
“My husband called out ‘no, it’s not okay’,” she said.
Marcus Lemin, Michelle’s husband and father to the young girls, claimed a citronella-based insecticide was handed to him from the drinks fridge.
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Hannah Lemin, 12, said it was “really disgusting, and how you would expect insect repellant to taste”.
“It felt like somebody had poured fire on your stomach and it felt like you had pins and needles in your arms and legs,” Olivia said.
The girls were rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital, while Michelle was taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The woman recalled saying she didn’t feel well, that her stomach was burning, and that she had a headache.
The mother and daughters were monitored for six hours, and are now resting at home.
Tonight the Perth restaurant was preparing for business as usual, with a member of staff telling 9News the situation was “very concerning”.
“All about this is under investigation, and when I know exactly [what happened], I will let you know,” he said.
The family want a thorough investigation and hopes no other diners will go through what they did.
“I think it’s pretty simple right? You can’t manage a restaurant and allow chemicals to be in an area when these things can happen,” Marcus said.
The City of Nedlands is investigating the incident, with the support of WA Health.
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