Photo: BBC.com
If you ever forgot something valuable on a plane, like a wallet, a watch, a book or even your cellphone, don’t fret about it: it can always be so much worse. For instance, someone recently forgot a human heart on a plane from Southwest Airlines.
The incident occurred last Sunday, on flight 3606 from Seattle to Dallas. The plane had already taken off and traveled some distance, when the pilot announced that they would be returning to Seattle immediately, The Seattle Times.
The return itself wasn’t shocking, but the reason for it was: someone had forgotten a human heart behind. The heart had traveled from Sacramento and should have remained in Seattle for a transplant, but they forgot to unload it off the plane before passengers boarded and the bird was back up in the air.
Making the experience even more surreal for the passengers, once the plane landed back in Seattle, everyone was ordered to deplane: the bird had been grounded due to an unrelated mechanical issue and they would have to wait for the company to provide them with another plane. The entire thing translated into a 5-hour delay to the flight, with Southwest confirming that they’re speaking with all passengers to apologize for the inconvenience.
And here’s the strangest part: according to the publication, no Seattle-area hospital has reclaimed the heart. Most transplant companies fly private, because commercial planes take too long and the window of viability for the organs is very small. For instance, a heart is only good for a few hours.
As one doctor on board the plane tells the same media outlet, this was a “horrific story of gross negligence.” “The heart in question traveled from California, to Washington, to the other side of Idaho, and back to Washington,” he is quoted as saying.
No word yet if the heart was any good by the time it had made its way to destination, or if the intended recipient received it.
The return itself wasn’t shocking, but the reason for it was: someone had forgotten a human heart behind. The heart had traveled from Sacramento and should have remained in Seattle for a transplant, but they forgot to unload it off the plane before passengers boarded and the bird was back up in the air.
Making the experience even more surreal for the passengers, once the plane landed back in Seattle, everyone was ordered to deplane: the bird had been grounded due to an unrelated mechanical issue and they would have to wait for the company to provide them with another plane. The entire thing translated into a 5-hour delay to the flight, with Southwest confirming that they’re speaking with all passengers to apologize for the inconvenience.
And here’s the strangest part: according to the publication, no Seattle-area hospital has reclaimed the heart. Most transplant companies fly private, because commercial planes take too long and the window of viability for the organs is very small. For instance, a heart is only good for a few hours.
As one doctor on board the plane tells the same media outlet, this was a “horrific story of gross negligence.” “The heart in question traveled from California, to Washington, to the other side of Idaho, and back to Washington,” he is quoted as saying.
No word yet if the heart was any good by the time it had made its way to destination, or if the intended recipient received it.
Google News