Michael McCormack got his head in the water when he poured himself a healthy dose of the local drink sakau earlier this week during a diplomatic visit to Micronesia.
It has had dramatic consequences for Australia’s former Deputy Prime Minister.
The cameras he rolled over as he approached the forehead, then vomited, before being taken to the hospital. Micronesian President David Panuelo and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong were among those who witnessed the incident.
I had to cancel the visit
McCormack was released from hospital a short time later after being treated for dehydration.
However, he had to cancel his visit to Palau, which was the last scheduled destination of the Australian delegation’s tour of several Pacific nations.
– I tried to be respectful, says McCormack The Guardian.
He says he poured five shells of kava the day before it went wrong, so the reaction came as a surprise to him.
– Bounced on me
Sakau, the drink he reacted to, is a traditional Micronesian form of kava with sedative properties, made from the root of the pepper plant.
The delegation must have seen that it was prepared. It must have been about 15 minutes from the time it was ingested until the McCormack reaction occurred.
– The effect struck me. Overwhelming. It’s like a sedative, a drunken feeling, he told others ABC after arriving in the country of origin.
At the same time, he emphasized that he will continue to drink kava during future visits to the Pacific islands, but that he will ensure a better fluid intake beforehand and consume it in small sips.
