Coroner slams parents of 16-year-old who drank himself to death at family Christmas lunch

Horrific details have emerged about how a 16-year-old Australian boy was allowed to “drink himself to death” over Christmas lunch with his family.

The family of a 16-year-old boy who allowed him to drink “a dangerous amount of alcohol” at a Christmas lunch that left him unable to walk and vomiting before he died has been slammed by a coroner.

The teenager was with his parents at his aunt’s home in Echuca in Victoria’s north on December 25, 2022 when the tragedy occurred.

At an inquest into his death, state coroner Catherine Fitzgerald said the boy, given the pseudonym of LG, consumed copious amounts of booze at the family gathering attended by about a dozen others.

He brought his own drinks to the party, including 10 vodka cruisers and a handful of UDL cans, but also drank from a fully stocked bar of spirits, including double-strength bourbon and coke.

The teenage boy drank himself to death in the view of family members, including his parents. Picture: AAP

The coroner’s report, released on Wednesday, criticised the boy’s parents and other adults who witnessed his heavy drinking, whose interventions could have avoided his death.

“Allowing a minor to consume this amount of alcohol poses significant risks to their health and wellbeing and it should not have occurred,” Ms Fitzgerald wrote in her report.

“There was wholly inadequate supervision of LG’s consumption of alcohol and level of intoxication by both his parents and adult family members.

“This effectively permitted LG to consume a dangerous amount of alcohol throughout the day and into the evening.

“It bears remembering that he was only sixteen years of age, and the sale and supply of alcohol to minors is illegal.”

The boy was at a family party on Christmas Day at his aunt's home in the Victorian town of Echuca. Picture: Visit Victoria

The report noted LG was seen drinking shots as well as “snorkelling” and “vortexing” drinks, which are methods of consuming booze more quickly, speeding up intoxication.

The boy and his family arrived at the party at midday. By the evening, LG was vomiting heavily, unable to walk, and effectively incapacitated.

“LG clearly consumed a significant quantity of alcohol,” Ms Fitzgerald wrote.

The boy was found unresponsive on Boxing Day and died in hospital two days later.

Despite his state, none of the adults at the party made any “adequate attempt to intervene”, although at one point his mother – who bought him the vodka Cruisers – told him to “pace himself”.

Early in the hours of December 26, LG was helped to a couch on a veranda at the home and he fell asleep.

At about 8.30am in the morning, his uncle noted he appeared grey and had foam and vomit on his mouth.

Paramedics were called to home and the boy was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced brain dead. He died on December 28 from acute alcohol poisoning.

Ms Fitzgerald noted in her report that she was making the findings of the inquest public to highlight the dangers of minors consuming alcohol.

She also drove home the responsibility of adults – particularly parents – who supply alcohol to children.

Originally published as Coroner slams parents of 16-year-old who drank himself to death at family Christmas lunch