HORROR IN A BELGRADE BETTING SHOP! Aleksandar was served HYDROCHLORIC ACID instead of sparkling water – ‘I was vomiting pure blood; they thought I wouldn’t surv
Aleksandar Tomašević described an event which, he claims, changed his life forever, when a sip of a drink at a Belgrade betting shop left him in a critical condition and fighting for his life.
“I was out in the Crveni Krst neighbourhood and spoke to a friend who invited me to come to a betting shop for a few beers. I was undecided about whether to go or head home, and in the end I went. I drank three or four beers and asked for a glass of sparkling water. What I was given changed my entire life. I took one sip and immediately began vomiting blood, pure blood. I told my friend, ‘This isn’t sparkling water,’ and began losing consciousness and vomiting, literally vomiting blood,” Aleksandar recounted.
He adds that the situation soon became dramatic and that he barely survived.
“A security guard came over and threw me out of the premises. I couldn’t swallow, I kept spitting and had no idea what was happening to me. My father later drove me to the Emergency Centre and the Military Medical Academy, and the entire time I felt as though my body was falling apart. Afterwards, I saw that even the car mat had been burnt through, with a hole in it caused by the liquid. That was when I realised it had not been ordinary water of any kind,” he said.
‘They gave me a 20 per cent chance of survival’
Aleksandar describes how a battle for his life followed at the Military Medical Academy, accompanied by serious diagnoses and a lengthy recovery.
“At the Military Medical Academy, they immediately performed a gastroscopy and found catastrophic burns — my mouth, oesophagus, stomach and duodenum had all been burnt. They told me that I had about a 20% chance of surviving. From that moment, nothing was the same; it was simply a fight for survival. Afterwards, I was on puréed food for months, like baby food. I couldn’t eat normally, and food kept becoming lodged in my oesophagus,” he explained.
He says that he underwent multiple medical procedures and continues to feel the consequences today.
“They diagnosed me with an oesophageal stricture, a scar that prevents food from passing through. I couldn’t even swallow medication normally and had to break tablets into pieces. I underwent four oesophageal dilations, procedures during which they put you to sleep and use a balloon inserted through your mouth to widen the scarred area. It eventually stabilised, but the damage is permanent. Today, I have to be careful about what I eat; spicy and acidic food causes problems, meat hurts me, and every meal is difficult because I constantly have to keep water beside me,” Tomašević recounted.
‘I am seeking justice; I live with the trauma’
Speaking about the company’s reaction and the entire legal process, Aleksandar claims that he received neither human nor institutional support.
“No one from that company called me even to ask how I was, apologise or offer help. No one. After everything that happened, after fighting for my life and after everything I went through, I did not receive a single humane message. A lawsuit has been filed and I have strong evidence, particularly medical evidence, but my life has been ruined,” he emphasised.
He adds that the entire case continues to haunt him psychologically.
“I still dream about that glass today. It doesn’t go away. It isn’t only physical pain; there is trauma, fear and anger as well. The people around me went through hell with me. My family came close to losing me, and that is something I cannot forget. They say I was lucky to survive, but I live with the consequences every day,” he stated.
Aleksandar also says that, according to his information, there were attempts to reach a settlement.
“I heard that they were saying they had supposedly offered me €200,000, which I rejected, and even a flat as a form of compensation, while the latest thing I heard was that they had paid for my treatment abroad. I am not asking for any luxury; I am asking for justice and accountability for what happened to me,” he said.
Finally, he issued an appeal to all hospitality establishments:
“My appeal is very simple — chemical substances, particularly corrosive substances, must never be kept where drinks and food are stored. I survived, but doctors told me that many other people perhaps would not have. Unless something changes, this could happen to anyone,” Aleksandar warned.
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