10 October 2023 , 18:01
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A mum who choked to death during a marshmallow-eating challenge is not the first to die trying the stunt.
Natalie Buss died at a South Wales rugby club fundraiser in which she had to stuff as many of the fluffy sweets in her mouth as she could. The 37-year-old mum-of-two choked and collapsed at the event on Saturday night and was pronounced dead. Now concerns are mounting over the challenge, which has been popularised by the likes of Love Island, as Ms Buss' death is not the first to result from the hazardous game.
Mia Austin died in 2019 after trying the challenge with two friends, inspired by seeing it on the reality series. The 30-year-old, who had "locked-in syndrome" - a rare, debilitating condition causing full-body paralysis - choked after she similarly attempted to fit as many marshmallows in her mouth as she could.
Mia suffered from locked in syndrome as a result of a stroke (SWNS)An inquest into Ms Austin's death heard she was unable to cough up the sweets as a result of her condition, which had been brought about after she suffered from a stroke age 21. Ms Austin, a former travel agent from Wirral who had previously been named Merseyside's Woman of the Year after writing a book about her health issues, had been holidaying with her mum in Abersoch, North Wales, in June that year and asked her to buy her marshmallows.
Mum Carol told the inquest: "Apparently on Love Island they did a marshmallow challenge, you put marshmallows in the mouth. That's what she wanted to do with two friends." Ms Austin's carer had offered to cut up the sweet before trying it, but she had declined.
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The tragic turn of events bears resemblance to Ms Buss' death at Beddau Rugby Football Club, near Pontypridd, South Wales, on Saturday night. Ms Buss had been invited on stage after winning a game of bingo at the event, with witnesses saying she had been laughing as she tried to cram as many marshmallows in her mouth as possible. But the seemingly-harmless fun turned to horror as she collapsed, with medically-trained audience members rushing to help her whilst another ran to get a defibrillator.
Natalie Buss, 37, pictured, won a game of bingo and was invited up on stage for a party game challenge (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Eyewitnesses said she was laughing as she tried to cram as many marshmallows into her mouth as possible (WALES NEWS SERVICE)One witness said: “The DJ and everyone in the audience was counting as each marshmallow went into her mouth. She was laughing at the same time and it was like she sucked the marshmallows further into her mouth. One minute everyone was enjoying themselves and whooping, the next she was on the floor.
"It was dreadful to watch it happen in front of you. First-aiders went forward to help and someone said they had gone for the defibrillator on the wall of the school opposite. But it didn't help - her airways were blocked by the marshmallows."
A Beddau RFC spokesperson described what had happened as "a tragic accident" but said it would not comment further. The local coroner has also been informed.
An inquest into Mia Austin's death in Caernarfon ruled her death as accidental.