EXCLUSIVE
An Australian woman who fell ill in a mass poisoning at a five-star Fiji report is stable and expected to return home this afternoon after spending four days in hospital.
Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji, says the 49-year-old woman is ‘talking, responding, and doing well’ after spending the past few days in the intensive care unit.
The woman and her 19-year-old daughter were among six tourists who began suffering from nausea, vomiting and neurological issues on Saturday night after drinking pina coladas at the Warwick Resort, on the country’s Coral Coast.
The woman will be the last of four Australians to be discharged from hospital after her daughter was released on Monday evening.
The woman’s daughter and a male relative have spent the past two days travelling between their nearby hotel and their mother’s bedside.
A relative did not speak to media as he left the hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepare to head home to Australia.
Local authorities say they do not believe the cocktails were contaminated with methanol, but investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology results which are expected to be returned this afternoon.
A relative (pictured) of the remaining Aussie in hospital did not speak to media as he left the hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepare to head home to Sydney
The resort was packed with guests on Tuesday night, 72 hours after six tourists were rushed to hospital after consuming cocktails (pictured)
It came after Daily Mail Australia revealed that 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.
The resort (pictured) released a statement earlier on Tuesday saying it was ‘deeply concerned’ by media reports surrounding the mass poisoning
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’.
‘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.’
