OMG! #Socialites, get a load of this! A married couple from Australia claims Qatar Airways crew members forced them to sit next to a dead body on a plane for 4 hours after a woman died mid-flight.
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Last week, a couple’s dream trip turned horrific after flight attendants forced them to sit next to the body of a woman who died midway through their flight. The couple was on their way from Melbourne, Australia to Venice, Italy via Doha, Qatar. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin said they sat next to the dead woman’s body for four hours as they flew.
On Sunday (February 23), the couple spoke with Australian news program “A Current Affair” about the incident. They said about 10 hours into the flight, a woman left the restroom and then collapsed and died right in front of them.
Ring said, “They did everything they could, but unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch.” He continued to reveal that the Qatar Airways flight crew placed the woman’s dead body in an empty seat next to the couple.
Couple Says Qatar Airways Flight Crew Forced Them To Sit Next To Dead Woman’s Body On Plane For Hours
The body remained next to Ring and his wife for the remaining four hours of the flight. The couple claims the flight crew never offered them the option to change their seats for the remainder of the lengthy flight.
However, Colin was eventually encouraged to move by another (living) passenger who offered up a free seat next to her nearby. Unfortunately, Ring didn’t get the same opportunity. Instead, crew members asked him to move over one seat, into an empty chair in his row, so that they could place the deceased woman in his assigned seat. He recalled:
“There were a few spare seats I could see around us. I can’t believe they told us to stay. They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me. My wife was on the other side. We were in a row of four. 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.”
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Ring’s trauma deepened when at the end of the flight, crew members told passengers to remain seated while a medical team removed the woman’s dead body. Ring said officials didn’t even attempt to keep the woman covered, leaving her face exposed to him.
This is against recommendations from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which states that when a person dies mid-flight, the body should be placed in a seat “with few other passengers nearby” and covered with a body bag or blanket.
Colin called the experience “traumatic” and slammed the airline. She said, “We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board.”
Qatar Airways Releases Statement After Flight Crew Sits Dead Body Next To Couple On Plane For Four Hours
Although the couple remains in shock, they are trying to enjoy their time in Italy. Meanwhile, after the “traumatic” incident went viral, Qatar Airways, owned by the Qatari government, spoke out. In a statement released to TMZ on Tuesday (February 25), the airline stated:
“First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight. We apologize for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.”
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