American Tourist Becomes Violently Sick as Scottish Authorities Warn Against Drinking River Water

The hiker reportedly vomited through the night after drinking water from a stream in Scotland on Monday, May 18

NEED TO KNOW

• An American tourist fell sick after drinking river water on the West Highland Way in Scotland on Monday, May 18
• Lomond Mountain Rescue Team revealed it was the second incident of its kind within days
• Officials recommend making water from streams safer to drink by boiling or chemical treatment

An American tourist required urgent health care after drinking river water in Scotland, which left them violently sick. The incident came just days after another individual suffered the same fate on the West Highland Way.

At around 12:43 p.m. local time on Tuesday, May 19, the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team responded to reports of an individual who had been vomiting since the day before and was unable to walk near the Rowardennan camping management zone, the rescue team wrote on Facebook.

The sick individual was an American man, according to the BBC.

“After a short search, the casualty was located and assessed before being transported back to the main car park at Rowardennan in a team vehicle,” said the rescue team on Facebook. “Given this is the second incident in under a week where contaminated water may have been a contributing factor, we would repeat the guidance that, in the first instance, water should be obtained from known sources.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Examples of known sources include the Scottish Water fountains, taps marked or known to be drinking water and bottled water, although the rescue team urges people to “please consider the environmental impact of this one.”

“If water is collected from a stream, it should be treated prior to consumption,” said the rescue team.

The announcement comes after the rescue team responded to another individual vomiting after drinking river water on Wednesday, May 13, at around 6:17 a.m. local time.

Officials said at the time that the person was incapacitated south of Rowchoish Bothy and had been throwing up since 9:00 p.m. local time the night before.

“With the Official West Highland Way season well under way, we would take the opportunity to highlight the importance of being well fueled and hydrated, especially on the section north of Rowardennan where resupply is limited,” said officials following the incident.

According to the BBC, the sick individual was a German man who eventually required hospitalization.

Lomond Mountain Rescue Team Leader, David Dodson, told the BBC that both men drank from a stream near Conic Hill, likely to be Burn of Mar.

Despite using straw-type filter systems, the leader said the individuals still fell ill.

“That area – where the West Highland Way passes through – is agricultural land where livestock can be found," Dodson told the outlet. "With so many walkers now tackling the long-distance footpath, there is an increasing issue with human waste not being properly disposed of."

"All too frequently, signs of human waste can be seen in the vegetation not many meters off the main footpath and inevitably, may be close to some watercourses," Dodson added.

In their Facebook post on Tuesday, the rescue team said filtering river water was not enough to make it safe to drink, while adding that secondary treatments such as boiling or chemical treatment are recommended.

“This is especially suggested in areas where livestock / run off may be an issue, e.g. on the approach to Conic Hill,” they added. “We don't want to be alarmist, but we also want all walkers on the West Highland Way to enjoy the hike and stay fit and healthy. Hopefully those reading this are already aware, but please also have conversations with others who may not.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Lomond Mountain Rescue Team and Police Scotland for further comment.

Read the full article here