Alaskan Woman Dies After Mistaking Antifreeze For Home Brew

[Daanyeer]

Source: www.foxnews.com
January 2, 2007



ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A 51-year-old Emmonak woman died after drinking antifreeze she mistook for home brew, Alaska State Troopers said.

Thelma Immamak's boyfriend, Franklin Murphy, also drank the toxic liquid with her on Sunday and was medevaced to Anchorage for treatment. His condition was not immediately available Tuesday.

The antifreeze was stored for unknown reasons in a soft drink bottle, according to trooper Teague Widmier.

Emmonak is a dry community, meaning sales and possession of alcohol are banned. The village is about 480 miles northwest of Anchorage.

Immamak and Murphy, 45, had been drinking home brew and thought that's what was in the beverage bottle, Widmier said. Troopers based in Emmonak investigated and didn't find anything criminal, according to Widmier.

The victims "didn't know at the time that's what they were drinking," he said. "They thought it was home brew. It was in a container other than an antifreeze container."

Murphy found Immamak dead Sunday afternoon. He was able to talk to troopers and told them he had taken a couple of sips but Immamak had drunk more.