{"id":632595,"date":"2026-03-04T22:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/632595\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T22:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:40:13","slug":"man-charged-with-manslaughter-over-death-of-jarrad-antonovich-in-ayahuasca-and-kambo-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/632595\/","title":{"rendered":"Man charged with manslaughter over death of Jarrad Antonovich in ayahuasca and kambo ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Police have charged a man with manslaughter over a fatal ceremonial ritual involving South American hallucinogen ayahuasca and the frog poison, kambo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Jarrad Antonovich collapsed while attending the Dreaming Arts Festival at a property at Collins Creek near Kyogle in the NSW Northern Rivers region on October 17, 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The 45-year-old was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">A NSW Coronial inquest in 2024 found he died from a perforated oesophagus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Police said he had consumed prohibited substances, kambo and ayahuasca.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">On Tuesday, police arrested a 52-year-old man in the Northern Rivers town of Coorabell and charged him with manslaughter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Police will allege that the man supplied Mr Antonovich with ayahuasca while hosting a retreat at the property and delayed seeking medical treatment when the man\u2019s health deteriorated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">He was granted bail and will return to Lismore Local Court on Monday, March 30.<\/p>\n<p>What are kambo and ayahuasca?<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Kambo is a poison harvested from the back of an Amazonian tree frog and used in South America for purging or cleansing rituals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">It was classified as a prohibited substance in Australia in 2021.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kambo frog sits on a person's hand\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/18119183992ff6c45ba9bc775d05a27a.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">The Kambo frog is used for medicinal purposes in South America, but health authorities warn of\u00a0 (Facebook: Viva Kambo)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Ayahuasca is a vine native to South America that is boiled in a brew, turning it into a powerful hallucinogen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">It was banned in Australia in 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The death of Mr Antonovich has been the subject of a NSW Coronial Inquiry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">They investigated whether excessive vomiting, often associated with ayahuasca and kambo ceremonies, caused the tear that led to his death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The inquiry was suspended in May 2024 with a coroner finding sufficient evidence to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Criminal charges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Police have charged a man with manslaughter over a fatal ceremonial ritual involving South American hallucinogen ayahuasca 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