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 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 lead 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, Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji, 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 do not believe the cocktails were contaminated with methanol, but investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology results, which are expected to be returned about 6pm local time (5pm AEST).
More to come.
Earlier on Wednesday, Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji, 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
