Phi Phi Deaths
The identities of the two young foreign women who died at Phi Phi island have been released by their familiesThe bodies have been sent to Bangkok for autopsy on Thursday. Another Norwegian died in April after staying at the same guest house.
Norwegian police authorities confirms that it was the 22 year old Julie Michelle Bergheim who died early Sunday morning at Phi Phi Island. A few hours later the 27 year old American woman Jill St. Onge died after staying at the same guest house.
They have not been the first to die under suspicious circumstances at Phi Phi the last month, according to published Norwegian reports tonight.
- A 46 year old Norwegian died on April 1st and we believe he stayed at the same place. We are waiting for the final autopsy report, according to police officer Tor Stein Hagen at the southern Buskerud police district to the Norwegian newspaper Drammens Tidende.
The owner of the guest house found the two Norwegian women in their room in the early hours of Sunday, according to the Norwegian newspaper Nettavisen. He immediately arranged for transportation to a local clinic at Phi Phi.
- He sent them to the hospital as they both were very sick and in immediate danger of dying, says the officer. The 22 year old died, while her friend is undergoing treatment at Phuket Bangkok General Hospital.
According to published reports, the two Norwegians shared a cocktail on Saturday night before going to bed. Both were vomiting after returning to their bungalows around 2 am.
The circumstances of the deaths of Ms. Bergheim and Jill St. Onge are still unclear. The boyfriend of St. Onge, Mr. Ryan Kells, suspects the air in the bungalow.
- I now think that is why I didn’t get sick, because I kept getting breaks from the air in the room, while Jill kept staying in bed. She was exposed to the air in the room for probably 5 or six more hours than I was. I was vomiting at the hospital, but I thought it was just because of the situation. Now maybe it was from my shorter exposure to the air in the room, says Mr. Kells.
Thai authorities are still investigating the two deaths of two young visitors to Thailand last weekend. The bodies of the deceased has been transported to Bangkok where an autopsy will take place on Thursday.
Ms. St. Onge was a resident of West Seattle. Ms Bergheim was a resident of Drammen, Norway.