An Australian mother who fell ill after drinking contaminated cocktails at a five-star resort has been flown home by air ambulance.
A medical evacuation plane sent from Brisbane arrived in Nadi at 2.20pm on Wednesday after the 49-year-old was cleared to return to Australia.
The woman, who spent four days in the ICU, was taken to the airport in an ambulance accompanied by a DFAT official and her 18-year-old daughter shortly after 5pm.
The ambulance and a train of cars stopped at a side security gate that led directly to the tarmac.
Airport security frisked her daughter and a doctor while they were conducting security checks before passing through the gate.
Before boarding, aviation staff could be seen removing a chair from the plane and then placing a blanket on the plane.
Several staff members then carried the woman out of the back of the ambulance on a stretcher, before tenderly helping her up and onto the plane.
The woman was the last of four Australians to be discharged from hospital after six tourists fell ill on Saturday from pina coladas served at the Warwick Resort on the country’s Coral Coast.
A medical evacuation plane sent from Brisbane arrived in Nadi at 2.20pm on Wednesday to bring an Australian mother home.
The mother is the latest 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 the ICU, was taken to the airport in an ambulance accompanied by a DFAT official and her 18-year-old daughter shortly after 5pm.
His daughter, who was also among the sick, was discharged Monday night.
Earlier Wednesday, Brent Hill, chief executive of Tourism Fiji, said the 49-year-old is “talking, responding and doing well” after spending the last few days in the ICU.
The woman’s daughter and a male relative have spent the past two days traveling between their nearby hotel and the mother’s bedside.
A relative did not speak to the media as he left hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepared to return home to Sydney.
Local authorities do not believe the cocktails were contaminated with methanol, but investigators are awaiting the results of the toxicology results, which are expected to arrive around 6pm local time (5pm AEST).
More to come.