The article in Phuket Wan doesn't say much about the mysterious deaths of two young travelers in Phuket, who stayed at the same guesthouse, but the comments are spot on. First, a word from the fiancee of the Seattle girl.
I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie.
Posted by ryan kells on Wednesday May 6, 2009 at 22:33
I think the bungalow is called leleena and the couple Ryan Kells and Jill St. Onge stayed in Room 4. The Norweigans were both girls. And it was Jill who first died while Ryan who also suffered a similar case survived. 24 hours or maybe earlier, a norwegian girl died.
Posted by D on Wednesday May 6, 2009 at 23:21
You might want to hold off on the drinking and drug references until you know more. Also, this article is poorly written.
Posted by Scumwatch.org on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 01:24
The facts of the 27 year old American, Jill St. Onge's death are documented here:
http://www.jillstonge.blogspot.com/
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 02:08
I am appalled at the manner in which the women, two of them dead, are essentially blamed for participating in their own demise by the doctor suggesting (and the reporter reporting) that alcohol was a common thread and that the women had been drinking. In addition to this being false (as per Jill's fiancee, who commented), it is inflammatory and a clear effort to steer attention away from the location and environment in which these people were made ill.
Posted by JP on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 05:48
The regular full moon parties on Phi Phi are notorious for drugs. And Phuket Wan is notorious for gratuitous sensationalism. Please, can we just stick to the story at hand?
Posted by matt on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 07:06
Mmmm, tourists drinking fruit juice and alcohol a common denominator? C'mon Thailand you can do better than that. So, if possibly there's a water plant emitting dangerous substances at a tourist destination, the Thai response is,
"Quick , look over there!"
Posted by Kim Elroy on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 08:53
"A spokeswoman for Sea Angel ferries, one of several companies that ply between Phuket and Phi Phi, said today that tourist arrival and departure numbers were normal." Nice to know that the most important factor - tourism isn't affected, YET.
Posted by MediaWatch on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 09:12
The guesthouse where they stayed was Laleena Guesthouse, see here: http://phi-phi.com/phiphi-forum/article.php?f=4&t=7317. To note, so far it is not conclusive that staying at this particular hotel was not just a coincidence, as police mentioned that they also ate at the same place.
Posted by jts on Thursday May 7, 2009 at 10:14
My heart goes out to the families of the victims in these cases. The bias and assumptions of the scientific community in this article are repulsive.
Posted by mlc on Friday May 8, 2009 at 09:29
"Anonymous", on May 7th stating that "The facts of the 27 year old American, Jill St. Onge's death are documented [on a blog]" is incorrect. Anything posted on it is not necessarily a fact. Rather, it is an opinion. Just because one writes something does not make it a fact. Blogs are notorious for presenting opinion, thoughts and hearsay as "fact". Far too many people are jumping far too quickly to far too many conclusions. The trend of opinion (from reading the above views) appears to be that the Thai authorities are colluding to cover something up and to blame people, suggesting - Lord help us - another Phuket/Thailand "conspiracy theory" giving people with too much time on their hands a reason to opine on subjects about which they know precisely b*gger all. Have opinions, but don't consider them fact.
Posted by Colin Pearson on Friday May 8, 2009 at 15:30
This article is offensive and factually inaccurate. I can't believe the editors allowed this to get published, it is irresponsible.
Posted by tk on Saturday May 9, 2009 at 04:11
The account from the Thai maid is here.
Another version from the fiancee of the dead American:
my name is Ryan, I was Jill's fiancee. We were staying at a guesthouse called laleena. I have to think that Jill died of a poison substance. We got our room about 11 in the morning. It was our first room with A/C in about a month of traveling through Asia. So we decided to just hang out in the room all day and catch up on some needed sleep. I am not a great sleeper, Jill on the other hand was awesome she could sleep anytime, anywhere. Aroun 1 o clock I was antsy so I went to go use the internet. I was gone about an hour. I went back to the room hung out with Jill for about an hour. We were both hungry so I decided I would go get us some food, so we could enjoy the A/C. I was gone about 45 minutes. I came beack we ate our food and hung out for another hour or 2. We then decided to go out walking around. Jill started saying she wasnt feeling that well (probably the burger) but being the trooper she was, we stayed out for a few hours. Ate some dinner , watched the sunset. Around midnight Jill said she was still feeling ill. She wanted to go lie down, but told me to stay out for a bit, cause we were hanging out with some new friends. I went back to the room at about 2 am, to find jill in some real pain. She started vomiting not too long after. I layed down in bed with her to try to comfort her. Probably 2 hours later, I started feelin very ill. I started vomiting. feeling dizzy. This is when I realized Jill was not doing well at all. She started turning blue. I ran outside grabbed a utility cart, briught it back, picked Jill up and put her in it. I ran all the way to the hospital. They started doing CPR to no avail.
I found out later that there is a water treatment plant right behind the guesthouse. I feel that jill was poisoned by a chemical from that plant. She spent about 5 more hours in the room than I did. She was just breathing in the fumes for so long. The only reason I did not get deathly ill, is that I kept getting these short breaks from the air in the room.
The next day, a woman from Norway died right in the room next door, her traveling companion was admitted to the ICU. All thrree of them had the exact same symptoms. That seems like a hell of a coincidence. I just want people to know to be careful of the Laleena guesthouse. Whatever is there it killed 2 people and put one in intensive care, in 2 days. That doesnt sound like food poisoning, and I doubt two A/C units started pumping in gas on the same day. There has to be something in the air from that water treatment plant..
And the report from the Bangkok Post:
KRABI - Two foreign tourists have died mysteriously and two others are seriously ill from unknown causes after holidaying on Phi Phi Island, the Phuket Gazette reported on its website on Thursday. The report speculation surrounds the circumstances of the deaths and the authorities had yet to make any official statements.
Press Attache at the US embassy in Bangkok, Michael Turner, told the Gazette that US citizen Jill St. Onge, 26, died on May 2, shortly after being taken to hospital by her boyfriend Ryan Kells, who also fell ill. Both tourists were vomiting severely before Miss St. Onge’s admission to hospital, the Gazette report said.
Her family have set up a blog website to publicise the story. Writing on that site, Mr Kells said he suspected the air conditioning in their hotel room was responsible for making them ill and believes he survived because he had spent less time in the room than Miss St. Onge.
The same room was rented to two Norwegian women the following day. Both developed the same symptoms. The Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand, Merete Brattested, confirmed that Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, died on May 4 in Bangkok Hospital Phuket, the Gazette reported. Her friend was recovering at Bangkok Phuket Hospital.
Koh Phi Phi hospital director Dr Buncha Khakong said the cause of both deaths was being investigated by the Department of Disease Control in Bangkok. “I guessed something they consumed caused them to die but I cannot say clearly until we receive the lab results,” he said.
The hotel rented out the same death rooms the following day? The mind boggles. Finally, a video from the brother of Jill here.
My sister along with a Norwegian woman have died while staying in a beach cabin in Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand. The deaths were fast and are being linked to poisoning.
My sister died on May 2nd (our time) while staying in her room. The place they stayed at rented the room out the next day to the two Norwegians. One of them died and the other is in Phuket in an ICU.
We set up a blog to post any info we get because my sister was loved by hundreds up and down the west coast and information is coming in slow. The link is http://jillstonge.blogspot.com
The only write up on these deaths I can find on the Internet was found using a Google Blog search. Here is the link to the article.
http://www.andamantimes.com/news/22-year-old-tourist-dies-at-phi-phi/
My sisters fiance is in Bangkok now with his family waiting for the autopsy and cremation to bring her back. I'm so Sorry Ryan.
Rob
robb1049@gmail.com
Turns out Jill has her own blog where she posted about her travels around SE Asia.
koh phi phi
hey hey! We're in koh phi phi right now. It's off the west coast of Thailand about a 2 hour boat ride from krabi. So amazing.
We got to krabi last week sometime, just drinking eating and living so cheaply and having a blast. Food, drink, good books, sun and warm waters... What else do ya need?have just been wondering why we don't live here. I've met a lot of teachers here, and after talking to them, I wonder how such an opportunity can exist, and why havn't I taken it. Ryan has also felt the calling, although his is to be a tuk tuk driver. Don't know if I've explained before but a tuk tuk is a scooter with a carriage attached for hauling people and stuff. A real perk to the job is you can hang a hammock up in it and sleep, if you feel like a nap. Seriously it's an untapped market to be an English speaking tuk tuk driver!
Well daydreaming aside we have a liitle under 2 weeks left.. Boo. Don't really know how I'm gonna be able to go grocery shopping and stuff without bartering! "2 dollars for a loaf of bread?! I give you 30cents, last price" and then when I walk away and they don't follow, I'll realize I'm home. So there's that, also speaking broken English with a mix of Thai and balinese, for the last two months, will be different too. Please feel free to correct my poor grammer when I get back.
We're on this island till Saturday, staying in a liitle straw lean-to, that has everything you need. From here we're going to Phuket. And then back to Bangkok to head home. I'll post a blog when I get to Bangkok to let y'all know the situation there. Sounds like it's melloed out. So do t worry(: love love!
Jill's Blog Blue Marble Trotter, Final Post
A memorial post by a friend of Jill here.
I had to force myself to sit down at the computer tonight to compose this blog, so I apologize in advance for what will probably be a rambler. For knitting readers, the only relation this will have is perhaps a loose theoretical concept of the unexpected ways in which the fabric of our lives knit together and often unravel. Other than that, I got nothing for you at this time.
In journalism, they say that you gotta start with the facts, so here's the best I can do with that: My long time friend, Jill St. Onge, died suddenly and tragically this past Saturday while on the last leg of a three month journey throughout South East Asia with her fiance Ryan Kells. The details of how she died are chronicled in a blog that her brothers have set up here so I will not go into further details on that.
It's the why of her death that we can't seem to get to the root of, partly due to the distance, foreign government's cover-up attitudes, diplomatic bullshit, and who knows what other mysterious factors. The St. Onges and the Kells are doing their best to get to word out with as much media coverage as possible in an effort to get some actual answers and to prevent future deaths (the day after Jill died, two other tourist staying in the bungalow next to them became ill with similar symptoms, one of whom died).
This all feels so surreal. I can't really even think of how to string together words to express my sorrow and love for this crazy and wonderful person. I've been friends with Jill since we were 12 (so that's like, what, three, four years? I'm bad with numbers) and we have joked over the years that when we're old and have outlived our partners we'll be the crazy ladies of the neighborhood sitting out on the porch together sippin' brews. I guess now I'll be going solo in my rocker.
We have had that kind of friendship in which time and distance never meant much of anything. Whether it had been one day or one year since we last saw each other, when we came back together it was like no time was lost at all. Hell, she's knew the stuff that great friendships are made of. I love that girl to no end and I'm struggle to come to terms with the fact that this is one distance that I won't be able to cross. I'm learning what a broken heart feels like.
I've often thought of Jill as one of those crystals that hang in a sunny window, taking the light and reflecting it in new and unexpected ways throughout the room. Jill does exactly that - shining a new radiance on everything and everyone that she comes in contact with. I know in my life she did wonders, teaching me how to let go and not feel like I always have to be in control, to enjoy the moments in life as they come without over-planning for the future. Life happens and for Jill that's no understatement.
With Jill there is always a sense of adventure. As kids exploring in the hills in her back yard, teens sneaking off to check out the "haunted" abandoned boys school, taking hour long road trips to check out some ska/punk band that we've never heard of, driving, just driving anywhere to see where we'll end up, moving cross country on a lark... there was no end to her sense of curiosity. The thing I learned with every Jill adventure, be it big or small, was that it's the journey, not the destination that counts. When she said that she was taking a three month vacation backpacking through South East Asia with just a loose itinerary and some money in her pocket, I wasn't surprised. With Jill, you learn to expected the unexpected.
I feel like there is so much more I could write - pages, in fact - about my dear friend and our 16 year friendship and yet I don't have the words right now. If I could, I'd post some pictures from over the years to fill in for my lost words. As it is, I don't have a working scanner nor do I have the heart to sift through all my old photo albums.
The Official Jill Memorial Blog
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