Man who drowned in Gold Coast hotel spa had inhaled laughing gas

A man believed to have inhaled nitrous oxide canisters, known as “nangs”, lost consciousness in a Gold Coast hotel spa and drowned.

Paramedics were called to a hotel at Surfers Paradise just after 6pm on Sunday, where they tried to revive the man after he was pulled from the water.

Police Acting Superintendent Scott Knowles told reporters the man was found by hotel management before police were called.

“This is really concerning,” he said.

“This is one of the incidents involving the nangs, as the young people call them, or the nitrogen canisters that are used for whipped cream.

“The way that these affect the body is that they cause a lack of oxygen, which is what gives that high, but unfortunately that led to him falling unconscious and because he was in a spa, he drowned.”

QAS Assistant Commissioner of the Gold Coast region Drew Hebbron urged anyone using illegal substances or “nangs” to stay away from water.

“It can certainly lead to a tragic outcome, as it has in this case,” he said.

“Nitrous oxide can cause oxygen starvation to the brain and it can lead to a decrease in conscious state, which can be dangerous around water, pools, the ocean.

“Generally, any illicit substance or legal substance used in the wrong way is dangerous and we would caution people against it.”