Suspected American victim of Fiji alcohol poisoning incident slams authorities, says she can’t access personal lab results

One of the suspected victims of the Fiji poisoning incident at a luxury resort earlier this month says she is taking legal action over the country’s “unacceptable” handling of the situation.

Seven tourists — four Australians, an American and two Fijians — were taken to hospital with a range of symptoms after drinking cocktails at the Warwick Fiji resort on the south coast of Viti Levu island on December 14.

Some of the tourists became critically ill including a 49-year-old Australian woman who spent four days in the ICU.

Now, a woman who claims to be the US citizen caught up in the poisoning incident has slammed Fijian authorities on social media about the way they handled the situation.

Posting in a Fiji Facebook travel group, Jill Juarez said she had “reached the end of my patience” with authorities, claiming she still has not received her own blood and urine toxicology tests taken when she fell ill.

The suspected victim claimed she had contacted police multiple times only to be told they did not have the tests yet.

“It has been 11 days. There is no way it should take that long,” Juarez said.

Last week, a toxicology report revealed no methanol had been found in any of the ingredients or liquor used in the cocktails the tourists drank, a pina colada.

Juarez said once this discovery was made public, interest in her case dropped.

“It seems that once the results ... were released showing no methanol, people were quick to move on,” she said.

“I must point out, those results were released to the public four days after this happened.

“Why are we still waiting for our personal results which I’m told are in a lab in Fiji?”

Juarez said she drank one pina colada at the Warwick’s pool bar on the afternoon of December 14 and began felling ill by about 4pm.

She was rushed to two hospitals, was in out and out consciousness and “experiencing alternating states of extreme all-over tingling or numbness”.

She suffered from nausea, had heart palpitations and impaired vision.

“I couldn’t even hold a water bottle to my mouth to drink,” Juarez said.

The woman said she was now worried about the long-term effects of whatever caused her to fall ill, which Fijian authorities say they are still investigating.

In the scathing Facebook post, Juarez also slammed the Warwick resort and said she was trying to claim compensation.

“This whole experience has made me beyond angry, scared, frustrated and sad,” she said.

The American said she had consulted with a lawyer so that she could request access to her personal lab results.

“That is the least I am owed,” Juarez said.

“What a way to spend what should have been a perfectly wonderful vacation in a gorgeous location.”

The Warwick and the Fiji Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation have been contacted for comment.

Resort management previously said it was co-operating with police investigating the matter.

“We are currently working jointly with the authorities to determine what caused this unfortunate incident,” it said.

“We are committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits our resort.”

The four Australians caught up in the poisoning incident were two mothers and two daughters.

They included Sydney resident Tanya Sandoe, 56, and her daughter Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, 19 as well as a 49-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter.