EXCLUSIVE
An Australian mother who fell ill after drinking tainted cocktails at a five star resort has been airlifted back home in an air ambulance.
A medevac plane dispatched from Brisbane arrived at Nadi at 2.20pm on Wednesday after the 49-year-old was given the all clear to return to Australia.
The flight is expected to take three-and-a-half hours and will arrive later Wednesday night.
The woman, who spent four days in ICU, was taken to the airport in an ambulance while accompanied by a DFAT official and her 18-year-old daughter just after 5pm.
The ambulance, along with an entourage of cars pulled up at a side security gate that leads straight onto the tarmac.
Airport security patted down her daughter and a doctor as they performed security checks before ushering them through the gate.
Before boarding, aviation staff could be seen removing a chair from the plane then laying down a blanket in the aircraft.
Several staff then rolled the woman out of the back of the ambulance on a stretcher, before tenderly helping her to get up and walk onto the plane.
The woman was the last of four Aussies to be released from hospital after six tourists fell ill on Saturday from pina coladas served at the Warwick Resort on the country’s Coral Coast.
A medevac plane dispatched from Brisbane arrived at Nadi at 2.20pm on Wednesday to take an Australian mother home
The mother is the last of four Australians to be released from hospital after six tourists fell ill on Saturday from pina coladas served at the Warwick Resort
The woman, who spent four days in ICU, was taken to the airport in an ambulance while accompanied by a DFAT official and her 18-year-old daughter just after 5pm
Her daughter, who was also among those who fell ill, was discharged on Monday night.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tourism Fiji chief executive Brent Hill, CEO said the 49-year-old woman was ‘talking, responding, and doing well’ after spending the past few days in ICU.
The woman’s daughter and a male relative have spent the past two days travelling between their nearby hotel and the mother’s bedside.
A relative did not speak to media as he left the hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepared to head home to Sydney.
Local authorities don’t believe the cocktails were contaminated with methanol but fronted a press conference on Wednesday night without toxicology test results.
‘I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples,’ police spokesperson said:
No explanation for the cause of the illness was provided with Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka instead emphasising that police would continue to investigate the incident.
‘The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation considers the recent incident as a learning experience,’ he said.
‘We will collaborate further with our marketing arm, Tourism Fiji, Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association, Fiji Police Force to ensure that Fiji remains a safe destination for tourists.’
It’s not clear when the test results will be made public.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tourism Fiji chief executive Brent Hill said the 49-year-old woman was ‘talking, responding, and doing well’ after spending the past few days in ICU
The flight is expected to take three-and-a-half hours and arrive later Wednesday night
The ambulance, along with an entourage of cars, pulled up at a side security gate that lead straight onto the tarmac
The news comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed holidaymakers who recently stayed at the resort claimed they also fell ill after consuming cocktails at the hotel’s bars.
‘My husband and I were there two weeks ago and he had the same cocktail [a pina colada] and was sick with chills and sweats,’ one woman wrote online.
‘[It was] very strange.’
A man who stayed at the hotel in late November said his group bought drinks from one of the bars that were ‘completely undrinkable’.
‘They tasted like pure alcohol (not strong mixes),’ he said.
‘We asked for a glass of lemonade to break it down and it was still undrinkable [because it had a foul taste].
‘[However] we drank at least 20 other cocktails from other bars that were sensational.’
This publication previously revealed that a friend of one of the victim’s claims she was asked by the establishment to sign an indemnity form and reimbursed $160.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Warwick Resort for comment.
The resort released a statement earlier on Tuesday saying it was ‘deeply concerned’ by media reports surrounding the mass poisoning.
The business, which has operated for almost 40 years, described the incident as an ‘unprecedented event’.
Authorities on Wednesday evening claimed it had not received toxicology reports on the cocktails which made four Australians sick
‘We take the safety of our guests very seriously. We are currently working jointly with authorities to determine the cause of this unfortunate incident,’ the resort said.
‘We want to reassure all of our visitors that we maintain the highest standard of food and beverage safety.
‘We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, and are with our guests every step of the way as we investigate this unfortunate incident.’
More to come.
