Brit blinded after drinking dodgy booze on holiday in Greece tells of terrifying moment she realised she had lost her sight
Hannah Powell, 21, was left fighting for her life after a bar crawl with her mates in Zante
Hannah Powell, 21, was left fighting for her life after a bar crawl with her mates in Zante
A BRITISH holidaymaker blinded by dodgy booze on a bar crawl in Greece says she thought everything was pitch black because the curtains were shut.
Hannah Powell, 21, was left fighting for her life after drinking vodka cocktails laced with highly-toxic methanol while partying with pals on the island of Zante.
The chemical - used by criminals to make alcohol cheaper - has left her needing a kidney transplant, with just 10 per cent sight in her right eye.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Hannah revealed the horrifying moment she realised she had lost her sight.
She said she felt absolutely fine at first, but only started feeling unwell the following afternoon.
Hannah, from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, said: "I just remember never being so tired in my life, I couldn't keep my eyes open.
"I thought the heat might have taken it out of me. I ended up sleeping 26 hours."
When her friends eventually roused her, everything was pitch black.
She said: "I was blind, I didn't realise at the time. I thought we had the curtains shut.
"Once I realised they were open that was scary.
"We were just sat talking, I suggested we open them and they were already open."
Her two pals Lauren Sheerin and Lauren Connors took Hannah to hospital, where tests confirmed she had been poisoned with deadly methanol.
Her parents Derek and Christine, who appeared on the show with Hannah, caught the first flight to be at her bedside.
Derek said: "We were devastated.
"To see her laid in the hospital bed blind was the lowest we've ever felt."
Expert Dr Hilary Jones told the show that "tens of thousands" of tourists were at risk of drinking the deadly bootleg booze.
He said it was a growing problem in Europe, and urged people to check labels of bottles for spelling errors.
He said: "You have to be really, really careful. Everybody's vulnerable."
Hannah and her mates paid £500 each for the seven-night break to the resort Laganas last August.
After initially being completely blind, Hannah said she had regained 10 per cent of her vision in one eye.
She has returned to work doing admin two days a week, using a magnifier.
But she has to have kidney dialysis three times a week for four hours while she awaits a kidney transplant from her mum Christine.
Hannah previously told the Sun: “My mum is my hero. Her transplant might be the lifeline I need for getting some kind of life back.”
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