An airline traveler talked about his shock as the cabin crew sat him next to the body of a passenger who died in the flight.
They told CNN Affiliate Nine Network that the female passenger collapsed on an aisle next to Mitchell Ring with his partner Jennifer Colin. The Australian couple is on vacation in Venice.
The ring recalls watching the crew try to resurrect the woman.
“Unfortunately, this lady cannot save it, which is heartbreaking,” he told Nine.
Ringer said the crew then tried to turn their bodies towards the business class section but could not manipulate it through the narrow aisle.
“So they looked a little frustrated, and then they just looked at me and saw a seat next to me… They just said to me, can you move over?” he said. “I just said, ‘Yeah, no problem’ and they put that lady in the chair I was in.”
He said the ring then sat next to the vehicle for about four hours of flight time, although there were other empty seats on the plane.
Another passenger provided Colin with an empty seat, passing through the aisle from the Ring, where she sat on the remaining plane.
“I was really shocked,” Colin told Nine, calling the experience “traumatic.”
“We fully understand that we cannot be responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there must be a deal to take care of the customers on board,” she said.
A Qatar Airways spokesman said in an emailed statement to CNN that the company’s idea was to be with the passengers’ families who had sadly been on board the ship recently flew from the Australian city of Melbourne. ”
“We have been in contact with the passengers’ families who died to express condolences for their losses. We also talk directly with affected passengers to address their concerns,” the statement continued.
“The safety and comfort of all our passengers is crucial to us”
After the plane landed, Ringer said passengers in his area were told to stay until ambulance and police arrived at the body.
“I can’t believe they told us to stay,” he said, adding that he was present when ambulance officers pulled the blankets away.
The couple said they did not contact the airline immediately and they said they owe them a “care obligation”.
Lin said he hopes the airline can provide consultative support.
The Qantas, which the couple bought tickets, said they kept in touch with Colin and followed up with Qatar Airways.
“The process of handling events on such aircraft is managed by the operator, in which case it is Qatar Airways,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ring and Colin try to deal with the tragedy.
“I really don’t know how I feel,” Lin told Jiu.
“And want to… talk to someone and make sure I’m fine.”
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