Parents demand justice after British couple die from methanol-laced limoncello in Vietnam
Greta Otteson and Arno Quinton were found dead on Boxing Day in Hoi An; a barman was arrested but is being held without charge as the family waits for answers
Parents of a British woman who died alongside her fiance in Vietnam say they are fighting for accountability after toxic limoncello made with methanol killed the couple over the Christmas period.
Greta Otteson, 33, and Arno Quinton, 36, were found dead in separate rooms of their Hoi An villa on Boxing Day after drinking limoncello hours earlier. Post-mortem examinations carried out by Vietnamese authorities determined the cause of death to be severe methanol poisoning. A barman who worked at a restaurant in Hoi An was arrested in February on food safety charges and is being held without charge; local authorities have not provided the family with further updates.
According to the couple's parents, Paul and Susan Otteson of Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire, Greta sent them a message on Christmas Day saying she had "the worst hangover ever" and was going to lie down. She did not wake up. The parents flew to Vietnam within hours of discovering the deaths and have since been dealing with investigations, repatriation arrangements and intense social media speculation.
Greta and Quinton ran a holiday villa in Hoi An. The family says they first sampled the restaurant's homemade limoncello during a visit in November 2024, when Paul and Susan met Arno for the first time and the couple announced their engagement. After returning to the UK, the parents ordered bottles of limoncello they had enjoyed to be delivered to the couple as a Christmas gift.
Local prosecutors said the arrested barman used "used 70-degree medical grade alcohol, along with filtered water, lemon peel and white sugar to create two bottles of limoncello". The Vietnamese central government has said the offence could carry a maximum prison term of seven to 15 years. Quang Nam provincial police led the investigation into the couple's apartment; Da Nang City Police were asked to comment on the case.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol used in industrial products such as cleaning agents, fuel and antifreeze. While chemically similar to the ethanol found in beverages, methanol is metabolised differently and can cause blindness, organ failure and death even in relatively small amounts. Humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says hundreds of people are poisoned by methanol every year in Southeast Asia; the deaths of Greta and Arno followed a spate of similar tragedies in the region, including six deaths from methanol poisoning in neighbouring Laos weeks earlier.
Paul and Susan have said the wait for answers has been agonising. They described living with the couple's ashes at home in Wales in two square bags — one topped with a pink bunny, the other with a blue teddy — and said they feel unable to bury them until the investigation reaches a "proper conclusion". "It's about accountability," Paul Otteson said. "We can't move on. Justice for us would be naming the people responsible and prosecuting them."
The parents have been warned by contacts familiar with Vietnamese procedures that investigations can take a long time and that a suspect may be held for up to a year before formal charges are brought or the person is released. They expressed frustration that the restaurant from which the limoncello originated remained open and had not issued a public apology. Good Morning Vietnam, the restaurant named by the family, did not respond to requests for comment from BBC News.
British officials have conveyed condolences and assistance. Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra said she was "deeply saddened" by the case and that her thoughts were with the family. She said the government recognises methanol poisoning and counterfeit alcohol as life-threatening risks to British travellers in some parts of the world and is working with local authorities and more than 150 travel industry partners to raise awareness of the dangers.
Relatives and friends have described Greta as an only child who studied in Cardiff, Paris and Los Angeles and as a "free spirit" and a hard worker. Paul Otteson described Arno as "quiet but highly intelligent" and said he would have welcomed him as a son-in-law. The couple had been together for about two years.
Vietnamese authorities have charged the case under food safety regulations. Prosecutors have yet to announce whether they will bring further charges beyond the arrest. The family has said they will only proceed with plans for burial once they believe the full circumstances of the deaths have been established.
The deaths highlight ongoing public health and regulatory challenges in the region, where informal or homemade alcoholic products can carry significant risks if non-beverage-grade alcohols are used. Medical experts advise that suspected methanol poisoning requires urgent medical attention because antidotes and supportive care can reduce the risk of permanent injury or death if administered promptly.
Paul and Susan said their priority remains getting a clear outcome from the investigation. "We just want justice," Paul said. "We can't move on."