A man is dead and his two friends are critically ill after the trio from Northern Ireland traveled to Turkey to undergo a dental procedure. The men, who were described as “three fit and healthy young lads,” were found in the city of Marmaris on Saturday. Richard Malloy, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene while his two friends Declan Carson and Aaron Callaghan were unconscious and in a coma. However, their condition has improved since then, The Guardian reports.
- The men were in Turkey for a teeth whitening procedure. Some reports claimed that the men had taken medications tied to the procedure before they were found in their rented accommodation, but those claims hadn’t been confirmed. There has been no suggestion that this caused the illnesses and death.
- Turkey has a major dental tourism industry. Not only do people flock to the country for cheap dental procedures like teeth whitening and veneers, but also complicated medical procedures like heart surgery and even organ transplants. According to the Istanbul International Health Tourism Association, up to 700,000 people came to Turkey in 2017 alone for this reason, with the The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies saying they hoped to attract 2 million people per year.
- The Foreign Office is aware of the deaths and is supporting the families. “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey and we are in contact with the Turkish authorities,” said a Foreign Office spokesperson, while a spokesperson for the Irish government said: “We are aware of the case and are providing consular assistance.”
- No further information is currently available. It’s unclear what exactly led to the death of Malloy or the illness suffered by Carson and Callaghan, but investigations are ongoing.
