UTRECHT – Nine first-year students from the Utrechtsch Studenten Corps (USC) and the female student association UVSV became unwell during a ski trip to France. Five students even had to be hospitalized. The ski trip has now been cancelled.
Last Friday, a large group of freshmen traveled to the French Alps for their annual skiing holiday. The group stayed there in Risoul. On Tuesday night, five students suddenly became unwell during après-ski. According to the student association, they had special complaints: spontaneously lowering their legs, shaking violently, alternating laughing and crying, turning their eyes away, panic attacks, nausea and vomiting.
Possibly drugged
Three students were in such a bad condition that they were taken to a hospital. It was much better there the next morning, but they all couldn’t remember what had happened. The Utrechtsch Studenten Corps and UVSV say that it is suspected among students that they have been drugged.
Measures have been taken in consultation with the travel agency. More guides, security guards and board members went with the students and in the catering industry, the drinks that were served were carefully monitored. Students were also urged to be careful. “After extensive considerations, it was considered that these measures should be sufficient to restore peace and ensure safety,” USC said.
Again students in the hospital
But on Wednesday evening it went wrong again. Four students became unwell and again two had to go to hospital. The student associations then decided to cancel the ski trip. “From the moment it was established that we could no longer guarantee their safety, we made this decision in consultation with the travel organization.” The festival site is closed and the first busses with students will drive home tonight. The rest will follow tomorrow.
It has not yet been established whether the students were drugged. They have been tested in the hospital, but the results are not yet in. Yet USC and UVSV state that they did not want to take any risks and therefore canceled the entire trip. All the affected students are now doing well, given the circumstances.