Australian woman dies after drinking suspected toxic mushroom infusion

Rachael Dixon died and two other people required treatment in hospital but have since been discharged

An Australian woman passed away after consuming an infusion suspected to contain toxic mushrooms at an alternative healing center in Clunes, north-west of Melbourne.

Rachael Dixon, 53, experienced cardiac arrest following the ingestion of an unknown substance at the Soul Barn Creative Wellbeing Centre during midnight on Sunday, as reported by authorities. Two other individuals also required hospital treatment but have since been discharged.

According to a Victoria Police spokesperson, the incident occurred during a retreat on Fraser Street, where a woman fell ill after consuming a drink around 12 am. Investigations are ongoing, and police are preparing a report for the coroner.

There's a probe into whether the group intended to consume magic mushrooms. The Soul Barn's Facebook page describes it as an "alternative and holistic health service" and was hosting an event on ancient skincare rituals on Saturday night.

Although it's not confirmed if Ms. Dixon and the others were part of the skincare event, the center extended its condolences to the family, canceling subsequent sessions and remaining closed on Tuesday.

Ms. Dixon's son, Matthew, expressed his profound grief on social media, reminiscing about his mother's love and support.

While detectives work to identify the mushrooms involved, there's a growing concern over the consumption of wild mushrooms, especially due to social media influence and a lack of distinguishing tools between edible and poisonous varieties. Health authorities have emphasized the dangers of wild foraging, particularly the risk of ingesting deadly mushrooms like death caps, which can resemble edible ones.

This unfortunate incident echoes a previous case where a family lunch was allegedly laced with death cap fungi, resulting in multiple fatalities and legal charges against the accused.