Chopper called to Barrier after child ingests 50 pills

A 2-year-old boy was flown to hospital from Great Barrier Island yesterday after he ate up to 50 ibuprofen pills.

Paramedic Stefan Gabor said the boy had been left alone in a car for a short time around 7pm.

When his mother came back he had a “chalky mouth” and had got into Nurofen and Clonazepam, a drug used to treat anxiety.

His mother knew how much medication was gone and estimated he could have had up to 50 tablets. She took him to a medical centre and the doctor called the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Gabor, 43, said that even though the boy was in quite a good mood he was treated as in a serious condition due to the amount of medicine he had potentially consumed.

“We transported him to Starship hospital. He was happy, he liked the flight. He was sitting on mum’s lap with his toys in his hands.

“He was in a serious condition because of the potential amount of medication he had. [His] mum was pretty sure how many were missing. He had enough to be a cause of concern.”

The boy condition. is now in a stable