Coronial inquest into Lismore man Jarrad Antonovich’s death after he took kambo, ayahuasca at northern NSW retreat

A former kambo practitioner says a Lismore man who died following one of the frog toxin ceremonies should have urgently been hospitalised. It comes as family have expressed their heartache.

Jarrad Antonovich before his death at the retreat in northern NSW.

A former kambo practitioner has told an inquest a Lismore man who died following one of the dangerous frog toxin ceremonies should have been urgently taken to hospital.

It comes as Jarrad Antonovich’s family have spoken of their devastation following the 46-year-old man’s death.

Two “shamans” were at a ceremony on the night Mr Antonovich died from a perforated oesophagus on October 16, 2021.

The 46-year-old took kambo frog secretions and the drug ayahuasca while at the Dreaming Arts festival retreat at Collins Creek near Kyogle.

A Coronial inquest at Lismore heard Jarrad 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.

Vomiting is common in the rituals, the Lismore inquest heard, and Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan is investigating whether that caused the fatal tear.

Meanwhile, findings into the death of Natasha Lechner, 39, were due on Friday, but have been delayed to a later date. The inquests share similarities – Ms Lechner died after taking part in a Mullumbimby “kambo ceremony” on March 8, 2019.

Christopher Antonovich told the inquest his family was devastated by the loss of his brother.

He said Jarrad grew up in Shepparton in Victoria, loved to skateboard and was passionate about music, acting as a tutor.

The use of kambo has been scrutinised at the inquest.

He picked up a violin in his youth and took to it “like a duck to water”.

But Jarrad was just 22 when he was the passenger in a car crash that took away much of the function of his body’s left side, and his ability to express himself through music – “his second language”.

Jarrad’s cognitive skills were still “profound and vivid”, his brother said, but various health issues stopped him playing music.

Christopher said he and Jarrad spoke on the phone three weeks before his death and “it was one of the best chats we had in years”. He told himself “we need to do this more often”.

He said they “talked of life, love, music” and were “joking with each other and laughing our arses off the whole time”.

“I’m so sad I didn’t get to talk to him again,” he said.

“He had so much to live for.”

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

Christopher said “one of Jarrad’s biggest supporters” was his grandmother, who sadly died on April 25.

He said he was deeply saddened to be a pallbearer for his grandmother’s funeral, but sadder still that his brother was not there to help bear the weight.

Former kambo practitioner Laurel Hefferon told the inquest on Friday that Mr Antonovich’s neck should “absolutely not” have been swollen and his loss of consciousness should have been an “extreme cause of concern”.

Ms Hefferon said if one of her clients had the same symptoms she would have called an ambulance or driven them to an emergency room.

“They need help that a practitioner of kambo is not able to give,” she said.

Day one of the inquest saw Mr Antonovich’s father accuse ceremony organisers of being vague on details surrounding his son’s death, while day two revealed Mr Antonovich suffered for about 12 hours before an ambulance was called.

Day three heard claims ceremony organiser Lore Solaris told Mr Antonovich’s former lover Patrick Santucci that the death was a “beautiful passing” – and “koalas were making a special noise to the elders”.

Christopher Antonovich said it was “galling” for the family to hear.

Multiple witnesses agreed Jarrad was struggling for some hours after taking kambo – his neck swelled out to his jawline, he battled to breath, could not stand unassisted and was complaining of “intense pain”.

The court heard “shamans” Mr Solaris and “kambo queen” Laara Cooper made the decision not to seek medical help hours after Mr Antonovich “looked like a frog” following his ingestion of the substances.

Former kambo practitioner Laara Cooper previously administered kambo to Jarrad Antonovich, a coronial inquest heard.

Frank Wolleh, a site manager at Arcoora, where the five-day drug retreat was held, told the inquest that Mr Solaris and Ms Cooper said Mr Antonovich’s extreme swelling and pain was not “entirely uncommon”.

“They said they had been discussing it all afternoon and (said) Jarrad didn’t need medical attention,” Mr Wolleh said.

Ms Cooper told the inquest she considered Jarrad’s symptoms as part of the normal kambo ingestion process.

Coroner O’Sullivan said she was concerned there was a view in the community using kambo that “no matter what the symptoms are it’s all part of the process”.

“There lies the problem,” she said.

“If someone is told ‘trust me’ regardless of what is going on to him, regardless of how swollen their neck is … That concerns me as the state coroner.”

The inquest has been adjourned until June 15.

Findings may be handed down as late as February next year.