Initially, some had been airlifted to Noumea after their tour bus and a local bus had a head-on collison which killed three Port Vila locals.
The Australians were passengers from Pacific Dawn which sailed from Brisbane on June 14 on a 12-day ‘Pacific Explorer’ cruise. They were returning to the ship from a shore excursion to the Ekasup Cultural Village.
P&O thanked all those involved in the complex medical evacuation in a series of air ambulance flights.
An 11-year-old boy who sustained a serious head injury and was flown to Noumea on the first air ambulance flight is now at the Gold Coast University Hospital and is no longer listed as critical.
P&O Cruises Australia’s president, Sture Myrmell, has made a private visit to the injured passengers and the company’s port agent in Vanuatu has been assisting the families of the people killed in the accident. It has been announced that A$10,000 from the P&O Pacific Partnership will be devoted to their immediate needs.
