Vacationing Couple Ridiculed For Their Reaction To Being Forced To Sit Next To A Body On A Plane For 4 Hours
"What were they supposed to do? Put her down with the luggage?"
New Africa | Shutterstock A married couple’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare after they were forced to sit next to an unexpected passenger during a long flight — one who passed away right in front of their eyes. The traumatizing situation was made worse by the severe backlash they faced online for their reactions.
The body of a woman who passed away mid-flight was placed in the seat next to an Australian couple for 4 hours.
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin boarded a Qatar Airlines flight departing from Melbourne to Doha, the Qatari capital. They were on vacation, with their final destination being Venice, Italy. However, this particular flight turned the couple’s excitement into trauma.
About 10 hours into the flight, a fellow passenger suddenly collapsed in the aisle after exiting the restroom. Flight attendants quickly rushed to her aide, and despite their best efforts to save her, the woman ultimately passed away.
“They did everything they could, but unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,” Ring told the Australian news program “A Current Affair.”
The flight crew had to find a safe place to keep the body until the plane landed. Their eyes drifted to an empty seat next to Ring.
“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," Ring recalled. “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.”
Even though they had covered her entire body with a blanket, the ordeal was agonizing for his wife, who was already an anxious flyer. She was so disturbed that she ended up moving to a completely different row. Once the plane landed, the couple was told to remain seated as medical personnel escorted the body off of the plane.
In a later interview, Ring insisted that the airline should have followed up with passengers after the distressing midair incident. “They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff," he said. "We should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counseling."
Many online ridiculed the couple for their reaction, labeling them cruel and thoughtless.
The distressed couple’s reactions to having to sit next to a dead body in a confined space for several hours were valid, yet some people found their reaction to be distasteful and offensive.
“A ‘dead body’ is someone’s loved one, have some respect,” one user commented on a Daily Mail TikTok about the incident. “Just to be clear. This woman died … and they feel they were inconvenienced?” another commenter wrote.
“Were they supposed to throw her down with the luggage?" a third user questioned. "It’s literally still the same person just minus a heartbeat. It’s not like she was going to turn into a zombie and attack them."
Others were more empathetic toward the couple, noting that having to sit next to a lifeless body could trigger intense emotions of fear, anxiety, and sadness.
“Under no circumstances should anyone have to sit next to a dead body on a plane. That is extremely traumatizing,” one user wrote. “Everyone is acting like they wouldn’t be horrified if they had to sit next to a deceased person for hours,” another commenter added.
Ultimately, flight crew members do not have many options in such circumstances.
Although having to be so close to a dead body with limited space can be distressing, the flight crew did as they were taught.
Former flight attendant Lisa Hughes explained to The Mirror that if a passenger passes away midflight, protocol requires them to move the body to a more private area. This could be an empty row, a business class seat, or a crew member rest area.
According to CNN, the flight crew had originally intended to place the body in a business-class seat. However, the aisle was too narrow to get the wheelchair-like device through.
If a flight is completely full or there are limited seats, the flight crew may have no choice but to put the deceased passenger in an empty seat within close proximity to other passengers, Hughes added. They are unable to place them in restrooms and block anyone else from using them.
Flight attendants will try to keep the passenger’s dignity intact by covering them with jackets or blankets until the plane lands, but they are not required to divert or do an emergency landing.
Qatar Airlines later issued a statement regarding the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the family members of the passenger who sadly passed away on-board a recent Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne, Australia,” Qatar Airlines shared in a statement. "We have been in contact with the family of the passenger who passed away to express our condolences on their loss.”
The airline also claimed to have spoken with the affected passengers to address their concerns. Although the incident was unfortunate for everyone involved, the flight crew did everything they possibly could. Frankly, it was likely traumatizing for them as well.
The dead body was a living person just hours ago and was likely someone’s best friend, someone’s partner, and someone’s family. She still deserved to be treated with respect even after death.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.