Poisoned tourist misses wedding to help sick mate

There will be a notable absence at a wedding at the Old Church in Meeanee tomorrow as one guest, Emma Langlands, recovers in a Thai hospital from the same blood poisoning that took the life of her friend and saw another also hospitalised.
The bride and groom will include the girls in their speeches, and guests at the wedding will be asked to "take a moment" to think of the three university friends who became seriously ill last Friday.
The three women were admitted to Chiang Mai Ram Hospital on Friday. Sarah Carter, 23, from Auckland was the worst affected and died two days later.
Earlier this week Miss Langlands' father Richard said: "My heart goes out to Sarah's mum and dad and family because we've been living a nightmare ... I just can't understand how this happened ... they're all such amazing, hugely intelligent girls."
His 23-year-old daughter was the least affected and had moved to her own room at the hospital.
Miss Eliason, 24, spent most of this week in intensive care, but by yesterday had been moved to a general ward.
Mr Langlands told Hawke's Bay Today, although his daughter was probably well enough to travel, she wouldn't be taking her original flight back to Auckland and then Napier tomorrow.
Instead the two friends would return to New Zealand early next week.
"Emma could come home but Amanda will probably need that time," and his daughter was not willing to leave without her friend, Mr Langlands said.
Bride and groom Daniel Cook and Helena Nunns from Wellington found out yesterday that Miss Langlands would not make it back in time for their wedding.
Mr Cook said everything was going ahead as planned but "we'll take a moment to think of Emma and pray for her".