Man, 36, Dies of Alcohol Poisoning

NEWPORT BEACH —  A 36-year-old Los Angeles County man died of apparent alcohol poisoning after attending a weekend bachelor’s party near Balboa Pier, police said Sunday.

Raymond Alamo of Cudahy was found dead Sunday morning by several people who had rented the beach house where the party was held, Police Lt. Mike Jackson said.

Alamo was a casual acquaintance of one of the guests, Jackson said.

Police say the party-goers had rented the four-room bungalow in the 500 block of East Ocean Front for the weekend. The guests had brought several cases of beer and ouzo and began drinking Saturday afternoon, Jackson said. Ouzo is a potent Greek liqueur that is 45 proof alcohol. Beer, by comparison, is 4.5 proof.

“It was a drinking party that lasted quite a while,” Jackson said.

Alamo apparently fell asleep at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday while the party continued for another hour and a half. When the rest of the guests tried to wake Alamo later in the morning, they found him dead, police said.

The preliminary cause of death is acute alcohol poisoning, Jackson said.

Dr. Robert DiLorenzo, a physician at UCI Medical Center emergency room, said alcohol poisoning is rare.

“What happens with these kinds of deaths is that the alcohol affects either the person’s heart or brain,” DiLorenzo said. “But it is not common at all.” It tends to happen to people who have a low tolerance for alcohol, he said.

Neighbors say the party-goers had rented the house, which is off the Balboa boardwalk, just for the weekend.

“They were partying pretty good,” said Jim Vaughan, who lives two doors away. “They were drinking beer in the yard.”

A woman, who lives next door to the bungalow, said up to 25 people had attended the party.