Simon Atkin: Australian man found dead in Bali, inside upscale Sanur villa with empty alcohol bottle nearby

An Australian man has been found dead inside a Balinese villa in tragic circumstances.Simon Atkin, 77, was found dead on the floor inside his room at Janan Villa Resort in Sanur on Monday morning.

Denpasar Regional police said the 77-year-old, who was believed to be based in Cronulla, Sydney, was found with no apparent injuries.

However, he had blood on his lips, and an empty bottle of vodka laid near him, The Bali Times reported.

His body was taken to Sanglah Hospital, and an autopsy will be conducted.

The preliminary speculation is that the Sydney man passed away due to illness, a police spokesperson told local media outlets.

Since Bali reopened in March last year, there has been a steady stream of headlines about Aussies striking trouble.

According to a Perth man, Colin Ahearn, a drink-safe advocate, purchasing drinks made with spirits is a hidden danger on the island.

Mr Ahearn said many tourists have died and ended up with life-long severe impairments after unknowingly purchasing a cocktail made with homebrew alcohol containing a deadly dose of methanol.

He suspects that many cases of the infamous “Bali belly” are actually methanol poisoning.

Perth man Artemiy “Toma” Stakhanov was one of the latest Aussie tourists fighting for life in Bali.

The 26-year-old was placed in the intensive care unit in Bali in August, where he was induced in a coma.

Doctors believe Mr Stakhanov had alcohol poisoning.

“There are millions of drinks served in Bali every day; the vast majority are safe, but the problem is you don’t know what’s not safe,” Mr Ahearn said.

“Bali belly and methanol poisoning, the symptoms are remarkably similar, until you start losing your eyesight and your organs start failing.”

Mr Ahearn added that Balinese hospitals don’t test for methanol poisoning when patients are submitted with the symptoms and that only police test for it.