A woman who tragically died alongside her fiancé after drinking limoncello on Christmas Eve sent a chilling final text to her family.

The couple was discovered dead in Vietnam. Credit: Copyright by 8Creative.vn / Getty

Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Els Quinton, 36, were enjoying a vacation at a hotel in Vietnam over the Christmas period after moving to the country in February 2024.

The couple, who had recently announced their engagement in a YouTube video, were in Hoi An, a picturesque coastal city, when tragedy struck.

As reported by The Mirror, Greta and Arno were discovered dead at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa on Boxing Day (December 26). Investigators suspect the couple consumed “homemade” limoncello tainted with methanol, a highly toxic industrial chemical.

“Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered, was the source,” a source told The Times.

Greta was a social media manager from Wales, and Arno was a musician and live streamer from South Africa.

Per a report by The Times, Greta sent her parents a tragic final text message via WhatsApp on Christmas Eve, complaining of what she described as the “worst hangover ever.” She also mentioned seeing “black spots” in her vision.

Despite their symptoms, the couple decided to sleep it off, declining an offer from a concerned friend to take them to the hospital. “Sadly, I think it was too late by then,” a source close to the families revealed.

The next morning, hotel staff found Greta dead in her room, while Arno was discovered lifeless in a separate room nearby.

A Quang Nam Provincial Police spokesperson stated at the time: “There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched.”

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office confirmed that they were supporting the couple’s families and were in contact with the local police.

Police believe the couple drank methanol-laced limoncello. Credit: Quangnam Provincial Police

Methanol, often found in products like fuel and solvents, is sometimes illegally added to homemade alcohol to increase potency.

While it looks and smells similar to ethanol – the type of alcohol found in beverages – methanol is highly toxic. As little as 25ml can be lethal.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, and abdominal pain, which can appear up to 24 hours after consumption, per Gov.uk.

Without immediate medical attention, methanol poisoning can cause blindness, brain damage, and death.

Greta’s devastated dad said the family wants justice for the couple. “Our aim is to bring the people who supplied the alcohol and killed Greta and Arno to justice,” Paul said. “At some time in the future, we will have a memorial service for them both.

“Arno’s family expressed a wish that they should be together, which we wholeheartedly agree [with],” he added.

The families also issued a joint statement emphasizing their commitment to justice: “Whilst the investigation is underway, procedural requirements and due diligence are being followed.

“Both families are aligned with the authorities in our shared goal of holding those responsible accountable,” they concluded.