[Ammi]

An Australian couple have told of their shock after being placed next to a dead woman on-board a flight for four hours.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha when a passenger suffered a medical emergency in the aisle.

Despite the crew’s efforts, the woman’s life could not be saved.

The woman’s body was then placed in the seat where Mr Ring was sitting in, with the couple told to move over.

Speaking to Australian TV show A Current Affair, Mr Ring described the experience as “traumatising”.

He told the show: "It [happened] right beside me in the aisle, and they did everything they could, but unfortunately, the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch.

"They looked a bit frustrated [cabin crew] and then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me – my wife was on the other side, we’re in a row of four by ourselves – and they just said to me, 'Can you move over, please?', and I just said, 'Yes, no problem,' and then they placed the lady in the chair that I was in."

He said that he and his wife was told to remain on board until ambulance and police arrived, saying he witnessed the moment paramedics pulled the blanket off from the deceased passenger’s face.

"I was there and I got to see her face. Yeah, it wasn’t nice," he said.

"I can’t believe they told us to stay. I thought they would have got us out quickly and let the ambulance and the police in there with no other people in there. But they told us to sit down and wait."

The couple have hit out at Qatar Airways for allegedly not getting in touch with them after the incident.

“They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff, we should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling?” he said.

The couple are now in Venice, Italy, where they had been travelling to after Doha.

A Qatar Airways spokesperson said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight.

“We apologise 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.”

[UserSince2005]

Never fly Qatar. Rubbish airline who must buy all their awards

[smudgie]

People will moan about anything.
Where do they think the poor woman was meant to go, in the ruddy hold?
Traumatised my backside, they will see dead people on tv plenty, they don’t turn into ghouls.
Looking to make some dollars methinks.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Im sure they put a blanket over her

These people are selfish

[user104658]

I mean it wouldn't bother me but I understand it would be upsetting for some people and, to be fair, I can think of a fairly simple solution... As they could have asked, and then if they said no, simply explained the situation to all passengers and asked if there's anyone who would mind respectfully sitting in that row alongside.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Quantum Boy

I mean it wouldn't bother me but I understand it would be upsetting for some people and, to be fair, I can think of a fairly simple solution... As they could have asked, and then if they said no, simply explained the situation to all passengers and asked if there's anyone who would mind respectfully sitting in that row alongside.

good idea

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by smudgie

People will moan about anything.
Where do they think the poor woman was meant to go, in the ruddy hold?
Traumatised my backside, they will see dead people on tv plenty, they don’t turn into ghouls.
Looking to make some dollars methinks.

I'd be pretty creeped out by that tbf, seeing real life dead people and dead people on TV is not the same thing

[arista]

It was Zipped Up in a Body Bag.

[Beso]

How disgusting...would they have done the same if a kid was sat next to a free seat?

Did they move the women up the aisle? They should have a place to put dead bodies if this situation arises.

Its totally unacceptable to expect someone to sit next to a dead body.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Beso

How disgusting...would they have done the same if a kid was sat next to a free seat?

Did they move the women up the aisle? They should have a place to put dead bodies if this situation arises.

Its totally unacceptable to expect someone to sit next to a dead body.

Yeah I agree actually, they should have some sort of procedure for it, It's not like it's that unlikely to ever happen especially on these long haul flights

[Crimson Dynamo]

Out of respect to the dead women they should have just sucked it up and looked out the window or as TS said asked the cabin if anyone would mind to change seats

[rusticgal]

Sorry...but thats awful. There surely would have been somewhere they could have put her.

[user104658]

Giving it thought any flight longer than a couple of hours really should have a private area anyway - deaths on board are obviously uncommon but not unheard of, but medical incidents in general can't be uncommon, e.g. seizures, fainting, things like that... there should be a small area to cater to that IMO... of course, they tend to want to sell as much space on the plane as possible for obvious reasons, which is why you have to pay loads extra just to get decent leg room.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by rusticgal

Sorry...but thats awful. There surely would have been somewhere they could have put her.

My thoughts too. It's a nonsense that they sat up a dead body in a seat with other passengers.

[user104658]

I guess also one of the main issues, regardless of what they chose to do, is that the staff looked confused/frustrated and like they didn't know what to do, which is a failure anyway - it's a very unusual situation but there should definitely be an established procedure for it, you would think.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Quantum Boy

I guess also one of the main issues, regardless of what they chose to do, is that the staff looked confused/frustrated and like they didn't know what to do, which is a failure anyway - it's a very unusual situation but there should definitely be an established procedure for it, you would think.

Of course there should, it's not really that out there of a thing to happen, someone dying on a 14 hour flight

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Of course there should, it's not really that out there of a thing to happen, someone dying on a 14 hour flight

True, especially when you consider that various aspects of air travel can exacerbate existing health problems.

[Ammi]

…I was just reading a site that has a ‘procedure’ for a death in flight…obviously every airline will have their own procedures and they will have variations but it feels as though procedures were followed in that a more quiet part of seating is where the body will be seated…because they moved their seats when asked, not all seats must have been taken so it was felt that was the place best suited…?…it doesn’t make it any less upsetting for them but obviously an extraordinary event and just a sad and unfortunate thing for them…

What Happens if Somebody Dies on a Plane During a Flight?…

https://www.frommers.com/tips/airfar...0empty%20seats.

[Beso]

Cover with a sheet up to the neck..

[bots]

Some of the things that recently expired bodies do is pretty unpleasant, so it's not just the obvious shock and trauma of having a dead person next to you