Friend of woman who fell ill in mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji reveals new details about fateful night

A friend of one the victims of a suspected mass alcohol poisoning in Fiji has revealed more details about the night several people, including four Australians, fell seriously ill.

Sydney resident Tanya Sandoe, 56, and her daughter Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, 19, were rushed to hospital when they became unwell after drinking pre-mixed cocktails at a bar at the luxury Warwick Resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Witness gives shocking account of what happened at Fijian resort.

All seven tourists — the four Australians, one person from the US and two Fijians — were taken to hospital with a range of symptoms including nausea, vomiting and “neurological symptoms,” according to Fiji’s Health Ministry.

Mohammed Radwaan, a friend of one of the Fijian locals, exclusively told 7NEWS he found his friend unconscious just hours after she was served the cocktail.

“We tried to wake her up and she just went into fits and started foaming through the mouth,” he said.

Radwaan said his drink tasted OK but his friends, who were drinking pina coladas and mai tais, said their beverages “seemed a bit stronger than usual”.

Tanya and Georgia both landed back on home soil on Tuesday.

Another mother and daughter, aged 49 and 18 from northern NSW, are believed to be the two other Australians caught up in the poisoning.

One of them remains in hospital along with Radwaan’s 33-year-old friend.

“We’ve just received some good news yesterday that she’s finally up,” he said.

“She might be discharged in a day or two

“She’s still pretty tired and still can’t speak properly yet.”

The investigation into what caused the group to become ill is ongoing, with blood and urine samples sent to Australia for a toxicology report.

It is unknown if the drinks contained methanol, as in the case of Australian teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones who died after consuming drinks laced with the poison in Laos last month.

“We’ve had access to CCTV footage, the ingredients, we’ve spoken to the bartender who’s a 16-year veteran,” Tourism Fiji chief executive Brent Hill said.

“He’s obviously really upset that this happened. Because Fijians, we pride ourselves on our service.”

Warwick Fiji said it was taking the matter “very seriously and are currently conducting a thorough investigation”.

“At this moment, we do not have conclusive details but we are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our guests,” it said.

Australia has revised its travel advice for Fiji, warning travellers to “be alert to the potential risks around drink-spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks”.