British woman has stomach removed after being served two shots of liquid nitrogen at wine bar

Thursday, January 14, 2016 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: liquid nitrogen, stomach removal, dangerous

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(NaturalNews) Peaking at a bone-chilling, negative 346 degrees Fahrenheit, liquid nitrogen is to be handled with extreme caution by someone trained in its application. From first glance, the clear, steaming liquid appears as boiling water, but upon first touch, it can cause extreme frostbite. Just a few pin-sized drops touching the skin can send chills throughout the entire body. What would happen if liquid nitrogen was served up in a drink and passed through the esophagus and stomach?

A British woman just found out how horrifying this is after she downed two Nitro Jagermeisters at a wine bar on her 18th birthday party.

Woman loses stomach after downing two liquid-nitrogen-tainted drinks

The woman, Gaby Scanlon, was celebrating at Oscar's Wine Bar in Lancaster when she suddenly felt her stomach expanding in pain. She was immediately rushed to Lancaster Royal Infirmary, where surgeons revealed a large perforation in Gaby's stomach. Something she drank had torn a hole in her insides. That something was liquid nitrogen, which was floating unseen on the top of her Nitro Jagermeister drink.

For three weeks, Gaby remained in intensive care after surgeons took out her perforated stomach. In a bizarre, four-hour operation, surgeons connected Gaby's esophagus straight to her small intestine. Now, Gaby must go on without a stomach.

For some trendy bars, adding liquid nitrogen to cocktail glasses adds special effect, creating a smoky appearance. Apparently, Oscar's Wine Bar went a little too far with the trick; the liquid nitrogen did not have time to evaporate. In this worst-case scenario, the liquid nitrogen floats to the top of the alcoholic drink, waiting to be swallowed first. It probably didn't take long for the liquid to run through her system and freeze out holes in her stomach. It's amazing this woman is still alive today.

Now Oscar's Wine Bar is being prosecuted under Health and Safety laws. According to the BBC, the bar's director, Andrew Dunn, and an employee, Matthew George Harding faced court proceedings in early 2015.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.bbc.com

http://chemistry.about.com