A Dominican Republic hot spot became the final destination for a fun-loving dad who downed far too much tequila at the request of a bet-making patron.
The unconscious body of 23-year-old Kelvin Rafael Mejia was recovered at the Vacca Lounge in La Romana after the now-deceased individual reportedly took on the disturbing dare, according to the New York Post . Mejia was said to have first come into contact with the unnamed waging party and his group of friends as they sat down at a table inside of the Vacca and conversed about who could drink the most of the alcoholic beverage without suffering a barrage of after effects.
Kelvin Rafael Mejía, 23, drinks an entire bottle of tequila in one go to win a $630 bet and DIES moments later https://t.co/NcUozamceu pic.twitter.com/mxyaBVsmX9
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) March 4, 2017
After stating that he could do so without any problem, Mejia was then filmed by other club patrons standing on-stage with a bottle of tequila in his hand before guzzling the entirety of the container’s liquid down his throat.
Applause immediately breaks out from those witnessing the shocking feat while the losers of the tequila club bet take to the stage to pay up, but within moments of his victory, Mejia begins to stumble and loses his balance before ultimately going completely limp as two unknown men try their best to keep him standing upright.
Following his collapse, he was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced his death by way of heavy alcohol poisoning not too long after his arrival. Mejia was said to have banked around $630 US for the tequila club bet that, in the end, led to his untimely death.
Video of the incident can be seen below. Please be advised that some readers may find the visual to be disturbing.
@donfelixSPM Kelvin Mejía de 23 años, resultó muerto luego de ingerir una ? de tequila en un concurso por 30mil, en Vacca Lounge La Romana ? pic.twitter.com/UKzx1BSbNt
— ??????? (@Pao_Glez01) February 28, 2017
In an official statement given to the Dominican media, the owner of Vacca Lounge expressed that they had no prior knowledge of the wager taking place before Mejia’s death and vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“The only contests we ever do [at the Vacca] are dance contests or costume contests,” a club spokesperson commented, as FOX News adds , “with the [rewards often being a] bottle of champagne or [some] other [kind of] drink.”
Mejia was also noted by several writers as being a new father, but no mention of the child’s gender or a significant other was made at the time of this posting. Law enforcement in the country say that the matter is currently ongoing.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that binge drinking, despite its many risks, is something that millions of young people engage in year after year, with at least 2,200 deaths occurring from the poisonous practice annually.
“… more than 38 million U.S. adults report binge drinking an average of four times per month,” the official CDC website explains , “and consume an average of eight drinks per binge. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion. The more you drink, the greater your risk of death.”
While it is currently unknown if the tequila club bet-accepting Mejia was a binge drinker or an alcoholic, studies have shown that the act has been tied to at least six deaths per day from people all across North America, from anywhere between the ages of 15 and beyond.
“While [our studies] reveal that alcohol poisoning deaths are a bigger problem than previously thought,” the CDC site continues, “it is still likely to be an underestimate” of the accumulated amounts of youth alcohol-related deaths, such as Mejia’s.
It was also specified in reports that the late Mejia was a constant Vacca Lounge visitor, with regulars referring to the 23-year-old as a “regular” at the establishment. There has been no mention of funeral services or relatives who have spoken out following his passing.
[Featured Image by YinYang/iStock]