Australian Couple Sat Next to Deceased Passenger on Flight: “Can you move over please?” [Horror IRL]
A couple traveling from Melbourne to Italy (by way of Doha) experienced an unexpected complication during their 14-hour flight.
Sky News reports that Jennifer Colin and Mitchell Ring were 10 hours into their journey late last month when a fellow passenger collapsed in the aisle after visiting the restroom.
Ring described the experience to the Australian news magazine A Current Affair, saying: “Unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch.”
Ring explained that the flight crew attempted to relocate the deceased to business class. However, she was a heavyset woman and it wasn’t feasible to maneuver her through the narrow aisles.
Ring and Colin were seated in a row of four seats with no seatmates. Ring told the outlet that the Qatar flight crew staged the recently deceased passenger in their row. “They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes no problem.’ Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”
Ring explained to A Current Affair that there were a couple of vacant seats nearby, however, the airline didn’t offer to reseat him and his traveling companion. Accordingly, they remained seated next to the expired passenger and a member of the crew for the rest of their flight, approximately four hours.
Ring told the media that he and Colin were asked to stay seated while the flight crew removed the blankets covering the deceased, noting that he and his companion weren’t offered any type of support during the ordeal.
Qatar Airways made the following statement to NBC News: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight.”
The airline went on to apologize for any inconvenience and noted that they are in the process of contacting those affected according to company policy and procedure.
Their statement continues: “It is an unfortunate reality that unexpected deaths do sometimes occur on board aircraft across the aviation industry, and our crew are highly trained to deal with these situations with as much respect and dignity as possible.”
I empathize with that couple and the flight crew. That must have been a harrowing ordeal for all involved. No one boards a plane expecting tragedy to strike. However, it’s nice to know that cabin crews are trained for unexpected complications.
That is all we have for you on this installment of Horror IRL. Stay tuned to Dread Central for more shocking developments as we uncover them. If you’re keen to keep up with me on social media, you can find me on Threads as @FunWithHorror.
Categorized:News
