Jarrad Antonovich’s death after Amazonian frog toxin investigated in coronial inquest at Lismore court

The father of a Lismore man who died after frog poison was administered to his body has accused the organisers of the ritual of being vague about what actually happened, a coronial inquest has heard.

Lore Solaris was the organiser of the retreat where Lismore man Jarrad Antonovich died after consuming kambo frog toxin and ayahuasca.

A coronial inquest into the death of a Lismore man has heard he died in pain after Amazonian frog toxin was applied to his body.

The inquest heard Jarrad Antonovich died on October 16 2021 after he began to “deteriorate” after the toxin was administered at a retreat in Collins Creek north of Kyogle.

This is the second inquest into a kambo related death in the Northern Rivers in the space of a week -Mullumbimby woman Natasha Lechner died while frothing at the mouth after having the same Amazonian frog toxin applied to burn lesions on her body.

The latest inquest heard Mr Antonovich died as a result of a perforation or tear to his oesophagus, likely caused by vomiting induced by his consumption of ayahuasca and kambo.

Phyllomedusa bicolor, kambo frog.

The inquest heard he was administered kambo in the morning, and ayahuasca in the evening at Arcoora health retreat.

After having frog toxin applied to his body, Mr Antonovich started to experience pains and breathing issues, the inquest heard.

Other participants observed that his neck and face were swollen, and at one point he collapsed.

By the time an ambulance was called, paramedics found his skin to be “blue ... and clearly deceased”.

“After 22 minutes of combined effort, all four ambulance officers agreed that their attempts at resuscitation were in vain,” assisting counsel Dr Peggy Dwyer said.

The following day, October 17, Jarrad’s father Glen Antonovich called Lore Solaris, the man who ran the retreat through his organisation Dreaming Arts and spoke to him about the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

Lore Solaris was the organiser of the retreat where Lismore man Jarrad Antonovich died after consuming kambo frog toxin and ayahuasca.

Mr Antonovich said Mr Solaris “spoke in generalities” and didn’t answer questions to his satisfaction.

Mr Antonovich had some “strong opinions” about what happened to his son, and said “something didn’t add up” and it “still doesn’t”.

“I am of the firm belief there has been a cover up,” he told the inquest.

“There was no medical staff, no risk mitigation,” he said.

The inquest heard Jarrad was monitored by “faith healers” as his health deteriorated throughout the day.

Those present tried to revive Jarrad, the court was told, but they couldn’t get his heart started.

Jarrad’s father told the inquest he suspected there was an underlying motive to take advantage of Jarrad.

Mr Antonovich spoke through tears about his son’s car accident on August 7, 1997, that left half his body paralysed.

He was unconscious and air lifted from the scene 80km north of Melbourne when his car hit a tree.

Jarrad received a settlement of about $300,000 from the Supreme Court of Victoria.

But he was left with a brain injury, and aged in his late 30s and 40s he was considered a vulnerable person, the court heard.

Jarrad’s father said his son was “very easily manipulated”.

Sometime after his car accident, Jarrad moved to the Northern Rivers where he was involved with people in the Byron area and lived a “somewhat bohemian lifestyle”, Mr Anotonvich said in court.

Jarrad met Mr Solaris around 18 years before his death, the inquest heard, and had attended spiritual retreats run by Mr Solaris where ayahuasca was consumed.

Jarrad’s money from his accident was a “magnet” and “people came out of the woodwork looking for money”, Mr Anotonvich said.

Jarrad’s father gave the opinion in court there was an underlying motive to use Jarrad’s money to purchase land.

Jarrad became interested in alternative medicine in 2003 after he travelled to South America in 2003, but his father never knew his son had used ayahuasca or kambo.

WHAT IS KAMBO

The secretions of the Kambo Frog, are directly harvested from the back of a live frog using a dry stick.

Kambo is administered through a process of making small burn marks in dots on the skin, and then applying the toxin to the burn marks, so that it can be absorbed through the skin.

Recipients drink at least 1.5 litres of water in the lead-up to the ceremony to assist with the purging.

On October 1 2021, kambo was included in Schedule 10 of the Poisons Standard. As a result, it is classified as a substance of “such danger to health as to warrant prohibition on sale, supply and use”.

THE RISKS OF KAMBO 

Laara Cooper, a former kambo practitioner who had previously administered the frog toxin to Jarrad at Mr Solaris’ retreats, said she didn’t consider kambo or ayahuasca to be dangerous for healthy people.

Ms Cooper recommended that an ambulance be called for Jarrad when she witnessed him deteriorating towards midnight on October 16, 2021.

She saw him in “discomfort” in the “depths” of a kambo trip.

She noticed his face was swollen and he was breathing heavily “like he was exerting himself”.

Ms Cooper said she first met Mr Solaris in the Byron Shire several years before and had been with him during kambo ceremonies on five occasions where she would offer kambo during his ayahuasca retreats, the inquest heard.

She told the court Jarrad had received kambo previously in 2021.

The man who administered the kambo to Jarrad on the day of his death is expected to give evidence during the inquest.