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A man who died after taking poison and hallucinogens did not seem to be showing an abnormal reaction in the hours before he collapsed, an inquest has been told.
An inquest into the 46-year-old’s death reconvened before State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan today after publicity surrounding it in 2023 led to people coming forward with more information.
One witness, Chelsea Hope, said each person’s reaction to the substances was “very unique”, but it was normal for some people to feel prolonged effects.
Hope said she was not worried when she first saw Antonovich sitting cross-legged on the ground during the session.
While it appeared that he was in some discomfort, it was “nothing out of the ordinary”, she told the inquest.
“I wasn’t concerned at that stage,” Hope said.
“It was something I had seen before … I myself have had a long process and once witnessed a three-day process.
“Did I ever think (the death) would happen? Absolutely not.”
Antonovich complained of back pain and had a swollen neck, lying down near a tree after taking the substances, the coroner previously heard.
Antonovich was later taken into a temple on the grounds of the health retreat for an ayahuasca ceremony where he had his feet massaged while still complaining and moaning.
He eventually passed out, the inquest was told.
Another witness, Raphael Lima, said he was concerned but not alarmed by Antonovich’s condition despite noticing his pale complexion and visible discomfort.
It was hard to tell if something serious had happened to the man, Lima said, because it was not clear if what he was experiencing was abnormal.
“I have seen people going through similar processes and going back to normal a few hours later,” he said.
Kambo is typically scraped off the back of a live frog with a stick before its application.
The use of ayahuasca and kambo is based on the traditional knowledge of indigenous South American communities, with adherents believing the substances can clean the body of impurities.
Medical experts, however, say there is no proof the substances do more than make people extremely ill.
