Mother-daughter dream holiday turns to ‘worst nightmare’

A mother and daughter are returning home to Sydney after an “ideal break” turned into a “worst nightmare” when they were hospitalised after a suspected alcohol poisoning at a holiday resort in Fiji.

David Sandoe told the ABC his daughter, Tanya, and granddaughter, Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, were “very well considering what they’d been through” during their one-week holiday.

Georgia Sandoe-Simpson (centre) is flying back to Australia with her mother, Tanya, after her suspected alcohol poisoning in Fiji.Credit: Facebook

The pair was expected to fly back to Australia on Monday after being discharged from hospital.

The country’s tourism minister told local media pina colada cocktails would be sent for testing in Australia after seven tourists fell ill at the island’s Warwick resort.

Sandoe’s daughter and granddaughter, a former student of Roseville College, were among four Australian women aged between 18 and 56 rushed to hospital with suspected alcohol poisoning after drinking ready-made cocktails on Saturday afternoon.

Sandoe said the other two Australians hospitalised were also a mother and daughter from NSW. He said the women had “banded together with the camaraderie that happens with these sorts of incidents”.

“It was the mother-and-daughter ideal break, and they enjoy one another’s company and we as a family love Fiji, so that was the logical place to go, and they were enjoying themselves,” he said.

A selection of cocktails served at Warwick Fiji.

“It’s very difficult to take a call at 11 o’clock at night, and your daughter and granddaughter are away, and your daughter says that they’ve been poisoned and are in hospital. It’s your worst nightmare, really.”

Fijian Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka told Fiji news outlet FBC News the drinks being investigated were pre-packaged pina coladas served from the resort’s Suva Wing Bar and would be sent to Australia for analysis.

Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, Gavoka said the suspected poisoning was a “very isolated incident”, and he didn’t think “anything untoward” had happened at the resort which he characterised as “caring”.

He said it had assured authorities it did not substitute ingredients or alter the quality of drinks served to guests, and the staff member behind the bar had worked at the resort for 16 years.

“In the same bar, there were many pina coladas served that evening. And with this resort, there are five bars altogether … so in the other four bars, pina colada was also served. No ill effects,” he said.

Gavoka said two people, who the ABC has identified as the remaining Australians, were still receiving treatment in hospital and were in a stable condition. “That is a good indication that it is not as serious as we expected.”

He refused to speculate whether the tourists had suffered methanol poisoning before the results of a toxicology report he said would take three to four days.

Warwick Fiji in a statement said the resort was undertaking a “thorough investigation”.

“We are also awaiting the health authorities’ test result report to gather all necessary information,” it said. “At this moment, we do not have conclusive details, but we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests.”

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said it was providing consular assistance to two Australian families in Fiji.

The federal government’s Smartraveller website revised its advice to Australians travelling to Fiji to include a warning about the risks of drink-spiking.

“We continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Be alert to the potential risks around drink-spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks. Get urgent medical help if you suspect drink spiking,” the warning read.

The incident comes a month after the mass drink-poisoning in Laos that claimed the lives of Melbourne friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles.

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare told ABC TV there was a real terrifying sense of deja vu about the case.

“It’s only a month ago two young Australian women died in Laos from methanol poisoning,” he said.

“Then when we wake up to hear this horrific news in Fiji, I’m sure all Australians have their heart in mouth and are hoping for the best.”

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