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Home / New Zealand

Kiwi woman Rachael Dixon died after drinking suspected toxic mushroom beverage at Soul Barn retreat

NZ Herald
16 Apr, 2024 11:55 PM3 mins to read

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A woman who died shortly after drinking a suspected poisoned mushroom beverage at a wellness centre in Australia has been revealed to be a New Zealander.

Rachael Dixon has been identified by police across the Tasman as the woman who died after ingesting a drink at the Soul Barn Creative Wellbeing Centre in the town of Clunes, in Victoria, late on Saturday night.

Dixon was born and raised in Southland, where members of her family remain.

Emergency services were called to the wellness centre shortly before midnight after reports a person had become unwell after consuming a drink.

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It is understood the 53-year-old went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived. Two other people who were at the centre at the same time were rushed to hospital. They were discharged yesterday, according to local media.

Rachael Dixon, 53, died shortly after ingesting a drink at a wellness centre in the town of Clunes, Victoria, Australia, on Saturday night.
Rachael Dixon, 53, died shortly after ingesting a drink at a wellness centre in the town of Clunes, Victoria, Australia, on Saturday night.

Officers investigating the death are examining whether the drink Dixon took contained mushrooms, the Age newspaper reported.

‘Love you infinity, Mum’

Her son Matthew took to Facebook to pay tribute to his mother, who he described as a supportive mum.

Dixon, 53, died shortly after ingesting a drink at a wellness centre in the town of Clunes, Victoria, Australia, on Saturday night.
Dixon, 53, died shortly after ingesting a drink at a wellness centre in the town of Clunes, Victoria, Australia, on Saturday night.

“To the most loving, most caring person I’ve ever known. Can’t thank you enough for everything you did for me and all the support you gave me,” he wrote.

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“Words can’t begin to describe how much I will miss you. Wish I could give you one last hug. Love you infinity, Mum.”

The young man also shared an old photo of his mum holding him as a young boy.

Matthew’s aunt, Penny Muller-Dixon, also shared a few words about her sister, acknowledging the family’s heartbreak.

“Words cannot express the heartbreak we are all feeling,” she said online.

“Matthew, your NZ family love you - we will see you soon.”

Muller-Dixon said her sister was taken too young and called on others to “hug and love those around you”.

Incident follows infamous mushroom poisoning case

The incident comes just a few months after Australian woman Erin Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after the deaths of three people she had cooked a meal for.

Those who died were the elderly parents of her ex-husband - Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, aged 66.

Late last month, it was reported that prison staff had been forced to move Patterson into a protected unit at the women’s maximum security prison she is in due to fears she would be attacked by fellow inmates.

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