'Traumatising': Couple shares chilling experience after their seatmate passed away mid-flight
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Midflight medical emergencies are rare but can be deeply unsettling for those on board.
When tragedy strikes at 30,000 feet, airlines have protocols in place to manage the situation with dignity and care.
However, for one Melbourne couple, what should have been a routine long-haul journey turned into an experience they describe as deeply distressing.
A Melbourne couple recounted their distress after they were seated next to the body of a passenger who died midflight, despite available empty seats elsewhere on the aircraft.
Mitch and Jenny were on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha when a woman collapsed in the aisle beside them and could not be revived.
‘The staff were there in no time, and I pat them on the back, they did a wonderful job trying to revive her,’ Mitch said.
‘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.’
Cabin crew attempted to move the deceased passenger to business class using a two-wheeled chair but were unsuccessful.
He shared: ‘They looked a bit frustrated 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.’
Jenny, on the verge of tears during the interview, described the ordeal as ‘traumatising’ and moved to another seat when a fellow passenger offered her a spot in a different row.
According to the International Air Transport Association’s protocol, a deceased passenger should be placed in an empty row if available.
If the flight is full, they should be returned to their original seat with a blanket covering them for dignity.
Mitch and Jenny claimed there were other unoccupied seats, but the crew did not offer them the option to relocate for the remainder of the four-hour journey.
The situation became even more distressing when emergency personnel boarded the aircraft upon landing.
They removed the blankets covering the deceased before passengers had been cleared.
‘They told us in our area to stay in our seats, and then the ambulance officers and the police came in, and then the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off,’ Mitch recalled.
‘I was there and I got to see her face. Yeah, it wasn’t nice.’
‘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.’
Qatar Airways confirmed it was investigating the incident.
The airline has been contacted for comment.
The couple’s unsettling experience has sparked debate over how airlines handle medical emergencies midflight.
Watch their full story in the video below.
In a previous story, a disruptive passenger caused chaos in the air for a very different reason.
A heated confrontation over a seatbelt led to major delays and frustration for travellers.
Read more about the incident here.
Experiencing a tragedy midflight is something most travellers never expect—let alone being seated beside it.
How do you think airlines should handle situations like this to ensure passenger comfort and dignity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
When tragedy strikes at 30,000 feet, airlines have protocols in place to manage the situation with dignity and care.
However, for one Melbourne couple, what should have been a routine long-haul journey turned into an experience they describe as deeply distressing.
A Melbourne couple recounted their distress after they were seated next to the body of a passenger who died midflight, despite available empty seats elsewhere on the aircraft.
Mitch and Jenny were on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha when a woman collapsed in the aisle beside them and could not be revived.
‘The staff were there in no time, and I pat them on the back, they did a wonderful job trying to revive her,’ Mitch said.
‘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.’
Cabin crew attempted to move the deceased passenger to business class using a two-wheeled chair but were unsuccessful.
He shared: ‘They looked a bit frustrated 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.’
Jenny, on the verge of tears during the interview, described the ordeal as ‘traumatising’ and moved to another seat when a fellow passenger offered her a spot in a different row.
According to the International Air Transport Association’s protocol, a deceased passenger should be placed in an empty row if available.
If the flight is full, they should be returned to their original seat with a blanket covering them for dignity.
Mitch and Jenny claimed there were other unoccupied seats, but the crew did not offer them the option to relocate for the remainder of the four-hour journey.
The situation became even more distressing when emergency personnel boarded the aircraft upon landing.
They removed the blankets covering the deceased before passengers had been cleared.
‘They told us in our area to stay in our seats, and then the ambulance officers and the police came in, and then the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off,’ Mitch recalled.
‘I was there and I got to see her face. Yeah, it wasn’t nice.’
‘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.’
Qatar Airways confirmed it was investigating the incident.
The airline has been contacted for comment.
The couple’s unsettling experience has sparked debate over how airlines handle medical emergencies midflight.
Watch their full story in the video below.
In a previous story, a disruptive passenger caused chaos in the air for a very different reason.
A heated confrontation over a seatbelt led to major delays and frustration for travellers.
Read more about the incident here.
Experiencing a tragedy midflight is something most travellers never expect—let alone being seated beside it.
How do you think airlines should handle situations like this to ensure passenger comfort and dignity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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so Qantas is also responsible. 
