An Australian couple, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, were left shaken after being seated next to a deceased woman’s body for several hours during a Qatar Airways flight from Australia.
In an interview with A Current Affair, the couple recounted the distressing experience, which occurred last week.
According to them, a fellow passenger collapsed and died after exiting the bathroom several hours into the flight. Despite efforts to revive her, she could not be saved.
“Unfortunately, the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,” the news program quoted Ring. “They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady and they couldn’t get her through the aisle.”
The Colins said that was when the flight crew decided to put the woman’s body in their row for the remaining four hours of the flight.
The couple claimed that the crew did not offer them a different seat and called the incident traumatic.
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NBC News shared a statement from Qatar Airways with the airline apologizing to the passengers.
“First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight,” the statement read. “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.”
The couple said they were heading to Venice, Italy, and continued to try and enjoy their trip despite the ordeal.