Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were excited to begin their dream vacation to Venice, but their journey took a harrowing turn when a fellow passenger suddenly collapsed and passed away during the flight.
The couple, traveling from Melbourne to Doha with Qatar Airways, never expected to spend hours seated beside a deceased passenger.
The tragic event unfolded ten hours into the long-haul flight. A woman, returning from the lavatory, suddenly collapsed near their row. Flight attendants rushed to assist her, but their efforts were in vain.
“Unfortunately, the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,” Ring recalled in an interview with Australian news outlet A Current Affair.
The crew attempted to move the deceased woman to the business class section, but the narrow aisle made it impossible. Instead, they placed her in Ring’s vacated seat, leaving Jennifer only one seat away.
Despite the distressing situation, the crew did not offer the couple an option to move, even though empty seats were available.
For the final four hours of the journey, they remained seated in the same row as the deceased passenger. Upon landing, they were asked to stay put while medical personnel removed the body.
The couple described the experience as deeply distressing. “They have a duty of care towards their customers and their staff,” Ring said. “We should have been contacted, at least to check if we needed support or counseling.”
Qatar Airways expressed condolences to the deceased passenger’s family and acknowledged the distress the situation caused for those onboard. In a statement to USA TODAY, the airline confirmed that they were reaching out to affected passengers.
While mid-flight medical emergencies are rare, this incident raises concerns about airline protocols and whether passengers in similar situations receive adequate support.”
