IT IS every parent’s worst nightmare: a child in harm’s way.
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That was the reality for Wagga dad Robert Nicoll when he went out for dinner at Montezuma’s Mexican Restaurant on Baylis Street on Thursday night.
Mr Nicoll claims his two-year-old son, Oliver, was served bleach instead of water.
It was a costly mistake that led to the toddler being admitted to hospital for examination.
“Oliver took one sip of it and started to cough and spew it up all over his face,” he said.
“My wife had a sip and she said ‘that’s chemical’.”
Puzzled and worried, the Nicolls took the glass to the counter where their worst thoughts were apparently confirmed.
“He (the manager) had a sip of it and said ‘that’s bleach’,” he said.
“He didn’t offer an apology or anything and just got a new glass of water. It was just so casual – he didn’t appear concerned at all.”
The Nicolls were concerned. They left dinner early and phoned the Poisons Information Centre, which advised a precautionary visit to the hospital.
The bleach, which Mr Nicoll said was diluted by water, was allegedly leftover from earlier cleaning.
Thankfully, Oliver was discharged from hospital on the same night and given the all-clear.
But to add insult to injury, Mr Nicoll was charged $162 for the meal.
“I was so angry,” he said.
“I left my card with my staff thinking surely there is no way they would charge us for the meal. But they did. If that was my business, I would have done everything possible to make sure they were OK.
“They didn’t take the matter seriously enough. It’s not good enough and people should know.”
According to Mr Nicoll, Montezuma's staff rang the night of the incident to check up on Oliver. However, he said follow-up calls were not returned.
“Again, it’s just how casual their approach has been,” he said.
The Advertiser phoned Montezuma’s twice on Friday to verify the claims, but was told “absolutely no comment” would be provided on the second phone call.
Mr Nicoll said the incident was reported to council, the body responsible for investigating food safety complaints. The complaint now sits with council’s public health department.
