Man who ate 'lizard’ as challenge dies of ‘salmonella infection’ 10 days later

An Australian man who ate a gecko as a challenge at a Christmas party last year is reported to have died in surgery 10 days after, following a salmonella infection. David Dowell, a father-of-three died in “absolute agony” 10 days after he was dared to eat a gecko by friends at a party, his family has said. Family and medical examiners are still searching for answers six months after an Australian man died in “absolute agony” of salmonella infection which they now believed is because of the infection caused by eating the reptile. Dowell, from Queensland, Australia was rushed to hospital last December and later diagnosed with severe salmonella.

Describing the circumstance as ‘basically rotted from the inside out’ after contracting the infection, Dowell's family said he began vomiting green bile, his urine turned black and fluid leaked from his stomach, which had bloated so much that he looked like he was six months pregnant.

Sister Hannah who initially thought the infection was caused by chicken told Brisbane Times, “There has been no evidence that he actually ate because there was: 'Oh yeah I saw him eat it'. And then: 'No, I didn’t see him eat it’’.

"It was a dare, so he might have intended to eat it and then thrown it away’’ she added.

The family adds that when he first fell ill, paramedics were reluctant to take him to hospital as they believed it could be a problem of gastroenteritis or a hangover.  

The diagnosis however took a different turn when Dowell’s partner, Allira, told a doctor about the gecko, which he is believed to have eaten. Allira told 7News that the attention around her partner had been extremely distressing and she wanted him to be remembered for more than the cause of his death.

"I didn't want him remembered like this, I want to remember the happy times," she said.