A Kansas nurse has spoken out to warn others after she fell violently ill from suspected tainted alcohol while vacationing with her husband in Mexico.
Cindy Otte and her husband Jeff were staying at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in May when she became suddenly sick after drinking part of a margarita at a Senor Frog’s.
The nurse, who lives with her husband in Overland Park, Kansas, said she drank about a quarter of a margarita at the beachfront restaurant about an hour after taking two shots of tequila elsewhere for a friend’s birthday.
‘I went to the bathroom, came back, and all of sudden, I had like a personality change, I started laughing and laughing and laughing, and then I got really paranoid for a second, then I had this zoom… tunnel vision, and I grabbed my husband,’ Cindy told Fox4KC.
Cindy and Jeff Otte are seen outside the Senior Frog’s in Playa del Carmen, shortly before their vacation took a turn for the worse with some suspected tainted alcohol
Cindy and Jeff are seen in the back row, far right, in this souvenir photo from the restaurant. Cindy said she began laughing uncontrollably before collapsing suddenly
The hospital demanded $2,000 up front before they would treat Cindy. The doctors diagnosed her with ‘dehydration’ and asked for another $2,000 to keep her overnight
The US State Department warned travelers over tainted alcohol in Mexico in July, a few months after Jeff and Cindy’s vacation.
Shortly after the warning, the Mexican government seized more than 10,000 gallons of illicit alcohol at restaurants and nightclubs, including some in Playa del Carmen. It is unknown whether Senor Frog’s was targeted in the raids.
After Cindy fell unconscious at Senor Frog’s, Jeff bundled her into a cab back to their resort and he desperately tried to find help.
‘She kept getting worse, so I tried pouring water on her thinking she’d come out of it any minute, maybe she’s just sick, then she said “hospital,”‘ he told the Fox affiliate.
Cindy had taken a few shots of tequila and began sipping a margarita when she fell ill
The couple recalled their ordeal in an interview with a Kansas City Fox affiliate
‘I called probably three or four times screaming at these guys, “hey, I need a doctor!” of course I didn’t know the hospital number, there was no 911, it was a very hopeless situation,’ the doting husband recalls.
When they made it to the hospital, the first thing Jeff was told was to pay $2,000 up front before Cindy could receive any treatment.
‘Had I not been able to come up with the money, they wouldn’t have seen her, and if she went into cardiac arrest, she would have died,’ Jeff said.
Cindy came to after about six hours of unconsciousness, and doctors at the hospital diagnosed her with ‘dehydration’.
They recommended she stay overnight for observation for an additional $2,000. Jeff declined.
Cindy said she was wearing this flashy, expensive watch at the time of the incident, which she suspects may have led to her being targeted
Cindy said she was wearing a flashy, expensive watch at the time of the incident, which she suspects may have led to her being targeted.
As of September, the State Department has removed the warning about tainted alcohol from its Mexico Travel Warning.
The warning does advise that the state of Quintana Roo, where Playa del Carmen is located, has seen an increase in homicides this year, driven by criminal gang rivalries.
‘Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured or killed, have occurred,’ the warning advises.