A woman has tragically passed away after participating in a lamington- and pie-eating contest on Australia Day.
The much-awarded Beach House Hotel in Scarness was conducting its annual highly popular contest in celebration of the national day on Sunday afternoon, in collaboration with local business Top of the Bay Bakery.
Video footage taken by other patrons, published by Channel 9, show people around tables lined with participants gorging themselves on lamingtons or pies, flanked by tall glasses of water.
Shortly after one woman raised her hands declaring her victory, a 60-year-old woman was seen to be “dribbling” and soon slumped to the ground.
Staff responded quickly, initiating CPR as paramedics were en-route. A privacy screen was erected around the woman, and paramedics worked on her for more than half an hour. She was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital, but could not be revived.
It is speculated that the woman inhaled some coconut from the lamington in her attempt to eat quickly, and went into cardiac arrest.
The Hotel posted a solemn acknowledgement on social media of the support by patrons, their own staff and the Queensland Ambulance Service. Staff have also had professional support made available.
“The management and staff of the Beach House Hotel offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of one of our patrons following the tragic event at our venue on Australia Day.”
Competitions based in consumption have been commonplace for centuries and were popular in the world-famous Guinness Book of Records until the Book scrapped the 43 records in its ‘gluttony’ section for the 1990 edition.
