Mushroom lunch survivor reveals tragic milestones in emotional address

The survivor of the Leongatha mushroom poisoning lunch, pastor Ian Wilkinson, has urged people to persevere through tragedy and said the Lord has not left his side, in his first public comments since his recovery.

Wilkinson’s wife, Heather, her sister, Gail Patterson, and brother-in-law, Don Patterson, died in hospital after experiencing gastro-like symptoms after eating a beef Wellington at a family lunch on July 29.

On February 11, Wilkinson told a congregation at Korumburra Baptist Church that it had been a big week.

“At the start of the week, it was six months since Heather and Gail and Don went to be with the Lord,” he said, in a video published in the Herald Sun.

Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson.

“Wednesday was the day, the anniversary day of my induction as pastor. Friday was my birthday, turning 70.

“And yesterday was our 45th wedding anniversary. So it’s been a pretty big week.

“Let me encourage you to keep on going. The way is sometimes hard, but God is good. He is with us. He promised never to leave or forsake us, and I can say that is true.”

Erin Patterson, 49, was charged in November with three counts of murder after the deadly lunch in July. She faced court on November 3 and was remanded to reappear in court in May.

Investigators believe the group ate death cap mushrooms.

Wilkinson was released from the Austin Hospital on September 22 after spending weeks fighting for life in an induced coma.

Before her arrest, Patterson gave a written statement to police documenting her side of the events leading up to and on the day of the lunch.

In the statement, Patterson strenuously denied wrongdoing and said she could not explain how the meal caused the death of her estranged husband’s relatives.