An air ambulance carrying the last Australian hospitalized for suspected mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji has returned home.
An entourage of cars transported the 49-year-old mother to the chartered flight at Nadi International Airport on Wednesday afternoon after spending four days in intensive care at Lautoka hospital.
She and three other Australian tourists fell ill on Saturday after drinking pina coladas served at the five-star Warwick Resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast.
The air ambulance landed on the Gold Coast shortly after 7.30pm local time on Wednesday night after a three-and-a-half hour flight.
Similarly, as she boarded the plane, several paramedics helped the 49-year-old woman, still wearing her hospital sash, down the stairs of the plane before being strapped to a waiting stretcher and into the back of an ambulance. .
She was accompanied on the flight by an Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official and her 18-year-old daughter, who was later seen at the airport checking her phone.
The teenager, who was also among the seven guests who fell ill, was released from the hospital two days earlier.
Shortly after the air ambulance left Fiji, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka stated that Warwick’s six guests had not been affected by methanol poisoning, as initially speculated.
The last Australian hospitalized for suspected mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji has landed safely in Australia
The 49-year-old spent three and a half hours flying from Fiji to the Gold Coast on Wednesday night.
The Australian mother was accompanied by her 18-year-old daughter and a DFAT officer during the flight.
The woman and her daughter were the last of the four Australians to return home after being hospitalized.
“I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples,” Mr Gavoka said.
‘All affected tourists and locals have already been discharged and have fully recovered. This is a significant relief.
“No tourist wants to end their vacation sick and we are sorry that their vacation ended like this.”
While no alternative reason for the tourists’ illness was revealed, the deputy prime minister indirectly shared a conspiracy theory that bad press from the incident had been fueled by a competing tourist destination.
‘I would like to assure you that this incident has been located at a hotel. There has been no reason to link this incident to others,” Gavoka said at a news conference.
‘In the meantime, I would like to tell everyone that it is safe to come to Fiji. We also need to find out who had been spreading that negative press about Fiji as a destination.
‘Are they competitors of our tourism?’
Fiji police will continue to investigate the cause of the mass poisoning, but have not yet revealed when their findings will be made public.
The woman spent four days in intensive care before she was allowed to take the flight home.
The woman’s daughter (pictured), who was also among those who fell ill, was seen checking her phone after arriving on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night.
The Australian mother was assisted from the air ambulance by medical personnel.
The mother landed on the Gold Coast, on the Queensland border with New South Wales, on Wednesday night.
Shortly after the woman’s air ambulance left Fiji, the country’s deputy prime minister suggested that the bad press the island received over the incident was due to a competing tourist destination.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation views the recent incident as a learning experience,” said Mr Gavoka.
“We will further collaborate with our marketing division, Fiji Tourism, the Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association and the Fiji Police Force to ensure Fiji remains a safe destination for tourists.”
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that A friend of one of the victims claimed that Warwick staff asked her to sign a compensation form and refunded $160.
Meanwhile, Warwick Resort management insists the accommodation is safe for guests.
Bottles of Bounty rum, the main ingredient in the pina coladas served, have been sent for testing.
“It has not expired from our batch,” said HR director Nitin Goundar.
“We will review the CCTV footage.”
The resort issued a statement Tuesday saying it was “deeply concerned” by media reports of the mass poisoning.
The company, which has been in business for almost 40 years, called the incident an “unprecedented event.”
‘We take the safety of our guests very seriously. “We are currently working closely with authorities to determine the cause of this unfortunate incident,” the resort said.
‘We want to reassure all our visitors that we maintain the highest level of food and drink safety.
“We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, and we are with them every step of the way as we investigate this unfortunate incident.”
The woman was helped up and down the plane’s stairs at both ends of her trip Wednesday.
Shortly after the air ambulance left Fiji, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka declared that Warwick’s seven guests had not been affected by methanol poisoning.
Ambulances and stretches carried the woman to the stairs of the air ambulance as it departed Fiji and landed in Australia.
The 49-year-old mother was taken by a car entourage to the charter flight in Nadi, Fiji.
Suspected poisoning led DFAT to issue a warning about the rise of drinks in Fiji.
“Be alert to potential risks related to excessive drinking and methanol poisoning through consumption of alcoholic beverages,” he said in an update on Smartraveller.
“Do not leave food or drinks unattended and pay attention when mixing drinks.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Warwick Resort for comment.