Posted on 01/02/2008 3:59:48 PM PST by RDTF
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two U.S. sailors who were found dead in a Ghana hotel room may have died of alcohol poisoning, a Navy official told CNN on Wednesday.
There were no signs of foul play in the incident, said the Navy official, who asked not to be identified due to the ongoing investigation.
An unidentified naval official told The Associated Press that the two were among a trio of sailors who checked in at La Palm Beach Hotel in the capital of Accra on December 31 "and on the next day, the third sailor found the two dead in their rooms and duly reported this to the hotel authorities."
The official told AP there was no evidence of a robbery or an attack on the sailors.
The Pentagon is withholding the names of the sailors -- who were men on liberty from the USS Fort McHenry at Tema in the western African nation.
One of the sailors was a petty officer first class and the other a petty officer third class, the official said.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Sad. Thanks for the update.
When I first read this I was wondering if someone sold them wood alcohol rather than ethyl (consumable) alcohol.
Sailors and alcohol? I’m shocked! Shocked I tell you!
It’s kind of hard to believe that 2 of them just drank themselves to death on new years eve. One, maybe, but 2?
hmm
Yeah, well, perhaps they each drank the next one on a dare, or a double dog dare, or were trying to win the who can drink more bet.
I’m slightly relieved to hear it wasn’t foul play.
You’ve got a point. Maybe the Navy should test whatever it is they were drinking. I suspect they will.
He said something about hard liquor in some of those African countries being substantially stronger than it's distilled here in the U.S.
This might be a case of accidentally consuming the wrong type of alcohol. Yesterday FoxNews had a report out of Mongolia where eleven people died and twenty-two others were hospitalized in serious/critical condition after drinking vodka that was made with only 70% ethyl alcohol.
maybe sailor #3 can shed some light.
Either way.
I don’t think I’d be very inclined to trust the purity of anything in the 3rd world.
very sad.
RIP
The 4077th had to treat several soldiers who were blinded by alcohol poisoning and Klinger found out that a bottle he'd just purchased was plugged as well.
My Dad who was a WW II career Marine remembered some of his buddies drinking themselves to death. I guess the “traditions” carry on.
They are kids I bet..been there done that at 19 in the service.....1 Non-Com parties heavier than any 3 College type at 19 yoa....
I used to live in the ozarks...knew some shiners.
Some customers would decide to shell out for the strong stuff and then drink it like it was the single-pass-through-the-still-stuff and get into real trouble.
Single pass is single X and roughly 80 proof
Two Pass is XX and about 120 proof
Three pass is XXX and around 160 proof or better (Think Everclear)
You test the proof by putting some shine in a small bottle and banging it with your hand... the smaller the bubbles and the slower they disperse the lower the proof....XXX has huge bubbles that disappear almost instantly. This sort of test is called the bead test.
These sailors may have been drinking XXX and did not realize its strength.
Hey! I learned something today! Thanks!!!
:-)
The real point of XXX strength alcohol was to simplify its transport.... put 2 gallons into a 1 gallon jug. This was really important during prohibition times as transport was the most dangerous activity. When it arrived it was then diluted down to 80 proof and re bottled and sold.
Only a moron would drink XXX because alcohol of that strength is anhydrous and damn hard to swallow as it pulls water right out of the mucus membranes...ick
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