A Canadian national has said he was stung by a scorpion while travelling on a United Airlines flight on April 9, the same day aviation security officers dragged a Vietnamese-American passenger off the carrier’s aircraft after they overbooked a flight. The airline has reportedly offered compensation to the Canadian passenger, BBC reported on Friday.
The Canadian national, Richard Bell, said the poisonous arachnid fell on his head from an overhead bin in the business class section while he was eating a meal on board a flight from Houston, Texas to Calgary in Canada. Bell said he was stung after he held the scorpion.
His wife, Linda, said the airline’s staffers quickly disposed of the creature. “Our flight attendants helped a customer who was stung by what appeared to be a scorpion on a flight last week. Our crew immediately consulted with a MedLink physician on the ground who provided guidance throughout the incident and assured our crew that it was not a life-threatening matter,” the airline said in a statement, CNN reported.
Vietnamese-American David Dao suffered a “significant concussion” and other injuries after he was dragged out of the craft by aviation security officers. His lawyer said Dao planned on suing the airline.
A video showing Dao being dragged out of his seat by Chicago policemen had sparked social media outrage. The flight was leaving Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for Louiseville, Kentucky. The airline had apologised for the “overbook situation” and passengers had to be re-accommodated.
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