Causes of Death Revealed for Engaged Tourists Found Dead in Vietnam

Authorities have released the causes of death for two tourists found dead last month in Vietnam.

On Dec. 26, Greta Marie Otteson, a 33-year-old British native, and her fiancé, 36-year-old Arno Quinton Els of South Africa were found deceased in separate rooms in their Hội An Silverbell villa in the tourist district of Hội An. Reports state that the couple moved to the area in Feb. 2024 and took out a lease on the expansive nine-bedroom home in July. They were engaged only three weeks before their deaths, and in the interim were seen hosting a succession of guests on the property. The Guardian reported that several bottles of alcohol were found at the scene, but "initial findings showed no signs of scratches or external force on the bodies."

Now, Vietnamese authorities have confirmed the couple's cause of death, putting an end to the mystery. It was determined that Otteson and Els died from methanol poisoning after consuming contaminated alcohol in "homemade" limoncellos they procured from a local restaurant on Dec. 24. The Times reported that Otteson phoned her mother on Christmas Day, telling her she had “the worst hangover ever” and was seeing “black spots,” but she and Els were going to “sleep it off.”

“A local bar owner and a fantastic friend called over and wanted to take them to hospital, but they refused,” an anonymous source told the outlet. “Sadly I think it was too late by then,” they added. “Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered [to the villa], was the source.”

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Otteson’s parents, Susan and Paul, flew to Vietnam for the couple’s cremations earlier this month and have since returned to the U.K. They released a statement confirming the autopsy results and vowing to bring justice to those responsible.

“The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results,” it began. “Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travelers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future. They were a loving couple with their life ahead of them. The tributes we have had from around the world are unbelievable. Our aim is to bring the people who supplied the alcohol and killed Greta and Arno to justice."

The business which authorities believe supplied the tainted alcohol has not been named, but sources report that it’s still in operation and no arrests have been made to date.