An Australian mother who fell ill after drinking tainted cocktails at a five-star resort has been flown home by air ambulance.
A medevac plane sent from Brisbane arrived in Nadi at 2.20pm on Wednesday after the 49-year-old was cleared to return to Australia.
The flight is expected to last three and a half hours and will arrive later Wednesday evening.
The woman, who spent four days in intensive care, was taken to the airport in an ambulance just after 5pm, accompanied by a DFAT officer and her 18-year-old daughter.
The ambulance, along with an entourage of cars, stopped at a side security gate that led directly to the tarmac.
Airport security knocked on her daughter and a doctor as they conducted security checks before being ushered through the gate.
Before boarding the plane, airline staff could be seen removing a seat from the plane and then placing a blanket inside the plane.
Several employees then rolled the woman out of the back of the ambulance on a stretcher, before tenderly helping her 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 in 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 from pina coladas served at the Warwick Resort on Saturday
The woman, who spent four days in intensive care, was taken to the airport in an ambulance just after 5pm, accompanied by a DFAT officer and her 18-year-old daughter.
Her daughter, who was also among the sick, was discharged on Monday evening.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said the 49-year-old woman was “talking, responding and doing well” after spending the past few days in intensive care.
The woman’s daughter and a male relative have been traveling between their nearby hotel and the mother’s bedside for the past two days.
A family member did not speak to the media as he left hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepared to go 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 around 6pm local time (5pm AEST).
There’s more to come.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said the 49-year-old woman was “talking, responding and doing well” after spending the past few days in intensive care.
The flight is expected to last three and a half hours and will arrive later Wednesday evening
The ambulance, along with a retinue of cars, stopped at a side security gate that led straight to the tarmac