A regional Victorian community is grieving after three people died from eating poisonous wild mushrooms at a lunch with friends.
A fourth person, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, who is a pastor at Korumburra Baptist Church in Victoria’s Gippsland region, is fighting for his life in hospital after also eating the mushrooms with the group.
As per 9News, South Gippsland mayor Nathan Hersey said the close-knit community is supporting each other in its grief and hoping for the best outcome for its pastor and the “really shocking situation”.
“We have had a significant loss to the Korumburra community this week,” he said.
“Many people in our community are grieving the loss of three very important, much-loved and very well-respected people in our community.”
“We are really wondering why is this happening to people who have been so integral and good and great for our community, but at the moment, we just have to let the investigation continue and provide whatever support we can to the family.”
The three people who died after eating the poisonous mushrooms have been identified as Reverend Ian Wilkinson’s wife Heather Wilkinson, a local teacher; Heather’s sister Gail Patterson, and Gail’s husband Don Patterson.
The couples ingested the mushrooms at a lunch hosted by Erin Patterson, who is the ex daughter-in-law of Gail Patterson and Don Patterson, The Herald Sun reported.
The poisoning is currently being investigated by the homicide squad.
Pedestrian is not suggesting that Erin Patterson is guilty of any crime, only that the matter is being investigated.
Head of Victorian homicide squad Dean Thomas told 3AW that police were unsure whether the poisoning was a crime or an accident.
“At about midnight that night, some of these people started to fall ill, resulting in all four of them — during the course of Sunday — attending the local hospitals,” Mr Thomas told 3AW radio on Monday.
“They were sick, displaying food poisoning-like symptoms… and unfortunately three of them died.”
“We work to try and determine what has gone on, whether there is any nefarious activity that has occurred or if it’s an accidental type situation.”
The investigation is ongoing as Victorian police try to determine whether foul play was involved. Mr Thomas described the case as “a very, very complex matter”.
Mushroom expert Dr Teresa Lebel said some mushrooms can kill and warned people never to go out and collect them from the wild.
“Basically it’s a Russian roulette that may have happened,” the mycologist told 9News.
“Other people may have been affected to some degree but not received as much of the toxin.”
Reverend Ian Wilkinson and another friend remain in hospital while other guests from the lunch have since been discharged.
Police say the two couples were dining at a home in Leongatha, almost two hours south-east of Melbourne, last Saturday when they ingested the poisonous mushrooms.
As reported by news.com.au, two women and two men got sick after eating lunch at home on July 29 and were all taken to the hospital the next day.
Both women died in hospital on Friday and one of the men passed away late Saturday.
Police and the Department of Health are investigating the incident, which happened in the Gippsland region’s Leongatha.
“The Department is aware of the situation and our investigations are ongoing,” a Department of Health spokesman confirmed, as per news.com.au.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the patients’ family for their loss.”
It is not yet known what type of mushroom was consumed.
“At this time the exact circumstances are still being established and it is not known if the matter is suspicious,” a police spokesperson said, as reported by news.com.au.
“The investigation into the incident remains ongoing and police will liaise with the Department of Health.”
According to 9News, police said that a search warrant was executed at a Leongatha residence.
“Detectives also interviewed a 48-year-old Leongatha woman who was released pending further enquiries,” police said, as per 9News.
Earlier this year, Victoria Health warned people away from picking mushrooms following weeks of wet weather. Last year, the NSW Poisons Information Centre reported a spike in people getting sick from eating foraged poisonous mushrooms.
“If not properly identified, mushrooms picked in the wild can make you very ill and could be lethal,” NSW Poison Information Centre senior poison information specialist Genevieve Adamo said in a statement at the time.
The Herald Sun reported that Korumburra Baptist Church held a service to pray for the two couples. At the service it was heard that all four of the victims thought they had gastro before being transferred to hospital where the toxins were discovered.
Image: Stuart Walmsley / Getty Images.
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