EXCLUSIVE
An Australian woman who fell ill in a mass poisoning, according to a five-star report from Fiji, is stable and expected to return home this afternoon after spending four days in hospital.
Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill says the 49-year-old woman is “talking, responding and doing well” after spending the past few days in intensive care.
The woman and her 19-year-old daughter were among six tourists who suffered nausea, vomiting and neurological problems on Saturday evening 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 released from hospital after her daughter was discharged on Monday evening.
The woman’s daughter and a male relative have spent the past two days traveling between their nearby hotel and their mother’s bedside.
A family member did not speak to the media as he left the hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepared to go 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 Australian in hospital did not speak to the media as he left hospital in a taxi on Wednesday as the family prepared to go home to Sydney
The resort was packed with guests on Tuesday evening, 72 hours after six tourists were rushed to hospital after drinking cocktails (pictured)
It came after Daily Mail Australia revealed 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 suffered from chills and sweats,” one woman wrote online.
‘[It was] very strange.’
A man staying at the hotel in late November said his group bought drinks at one of the bars that were “completely undrinkable.”
“They tasted like pure alcohol (no strong mixes),” he said.
‘We asked for a glass of lemonade to break it down, but it was still undrinkable [because it had a foul taste].
‘[However] we drank at least twenty other cocktails from other bars that were sensational.’
This was previously evident from this publication a friend of one of the victims claims she was asked by the establishment sign a compensation form and paid back $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 company, which has been in business for almost 40 years, described the incident as an ‘unprecedented event’.
‘We take the safety of our guests very seriously. We are currently working with authorities to determine the cause of this unfortunate incident,” the resort said.
‘We would like to reassure all our visitors that we maintain the highest standards of food and drink safety.
“We are committed to the health and safety of our guests and will be with our guests every step of the way as we investigate this unfortunate incident.”