Top secret private jet ambulance carrying Aussie mum poisoned at luxury Fiji resort touches down on the Gold Coast
An air ambulance carrying the last Australian hospitalised from a suspected mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji has returned home as the toxicology results were finally revealed.
An entourage of cars transported the 49-year-old mother to the chartered flight at Nadi International Airport on Wednesday afternoon following a four day stint 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, the 49-year-old, still wearing her hospital band was helped down the aircraft’s steps by several paramedics before being strapped into a waiting stretcher and into the back of an ambulance clutching a bottle of water.
She was then transported to hospital, where she’s now recovering.
The mum 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 inside the airport checking her phone.
The teen, who was also among the seven guests who fell ill, was discharged from hospital two days earlier.
The last Australian hospitalised in a suspected mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji has safely landed in Australia
The 49-year-old woman spent three-and-a-half hours flying from Fiji to the Gold Coast on Wednesday night
The woman and her daughter were the last of four Australians to return home after being hospitalised. Pictured is the mum being admitted to hospital after arriving home
Shortly after the air ambulance left Fiji, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka declared the six Warwick guests had not been affected by methanol poisoning, as initially speculated.
‘I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples,’ Mr Gavoka said.
‘All of the affected tourists and the locals have now been discharged from medical care, fully recovered. This is a significant relief.
‘No tourist wants to end their holiday in illness and we are sorry that their holiday ended on such a note.’
The mum and daughter arrived in Australia two days after Sydney teen Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, 19, and her mother Tanya Sandoe, were released from hospital and flown home on Monday.
While no alternative reason for the tourists’ sickness was revealed, the deputy PM did indirectly share a conspiracy theory that the bad press from the incident had been fuelled by a competing tourist destination.
‘I would like to assure this incident has been localised to one hotel. There has not been any reason to link this incident to any others,’ Mr Gavoka told a press conference.
‘In the meantime, I would like to tell everyone it is safe to come to Fiji. We have to also find out who had been giving out that negative press on Fiji as a destination.
‘Are they competitors for our tourism?’
Fijian police will continue to investigate the cause of the mass poisoning but are yet to reveal when its findings will be made public.
The woman spent four days in intensive care before she was cleared for the flight back 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 Aussie mum was assisted from the air ambulance by medical staff
The mother landed on the Gold Coast , On Queensland ‘s border with New South Wales , on Wednesday night
The mum was transported by road ambulance to hospital
‘The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation considers the recent incident as a learning experience,’ Mr Gavoka 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.’
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that a friend of one of the victims claimed she was asked by the Warwick staff to sign an indemnity form and reimbursed $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 away for testing.
‘From our batch, it is not expired,’ human resources manager Nitin Goundar said.
‘We will go through the CCTV footage.’
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.’
The woman was helped up and down the aircraft’s steps at either end of her journey on Wednesday
Shortly after the air ambulance left Fiji, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka declared the seven Warwick guests had not been affected by methanol poisoning
Ambulances and stretches brought the woman to the steps of the air ambulance as she departed Fiji and landed in Australia
The 49-year-old mother was brought by an entourage of cars to the chartered flight in Nadi, Fiji
The suspected poisoning prompted DFAT to release a warning about drink spiking in Fiji.
‘Be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks,’ it said in an update on Smartraveller.
‘Don’t leave food or drinks unattended, and pay attention when your drinks are being mixed.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Warwick Resort for comment.
