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Passengers describe hellish flight

It was a harrowing flight for about 70 Yellowknife-bound passengers Monday night after an extreme air-rage incident forced their WestJet flight from Calgary to be diverted to Fort McMurray.

Jordan "Bray" Mernickle, right, appears with his father Jim Mernickle in this Facebook photo. They were flying together when the younger Mernickle helped subdue an unruly passenger aboard a Yellowknife-bound flight Monday night. The flight was diverted to Fort McMurray where removed the intoxicated passenger.

According to one passenger, a Yellowknife resident who did not want her name used, an intoxicated male passenger had to be put in restraints at the back of the aircraft after he struck a female passenger.

SA国际影视传媒He was drunk and shouting obscenities,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淎t one point mid-flight, he got up and lurched at a woman who was across the aisle from him minding her own business, not travelling with him, and struck her.SA国际影视传媒

He then made his way towards the front of the plane, according to the woman.

SA国际影视传媒(He was) staggering down the aisle and bumping into a few people before stopping a few rows from the front to badger a fellow,SA国际影视传媒 she said.

The female passenger said at that point, flight attendants moved in and maneuvered him back to his seat. She added that he would not stay seated and became aggressive with the flight attendants.

It was not believed the woman who was struck was seriously injured.

Another Yellowknife man who was on the flight with his family SA国际影视传媒 Jordan SA国际影视传媒淏raySA国际影视传媒 Mernickle - said at one point, the man threw a cellphone at one of the flight attendants.

It did not hit her, he said.

He and the female passenger both commended the flight attendants for being professional and polite even while they were trying to dodge his abuse and cellphone.

According to the woman, the attendants were able to recruit a couple passengers until they were able to get a restraint system in place at the back of the plane.

SA国际影视传媒He continued to yell and curse, then was stomping his feet hard, struggling to free himself,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hen he started yelling about having a bomb in his suitcase and we were all going to die, at which point people started getting upset.SA国际影视传媒

Mernickle identified himself as one of the passengers recruited by flight attendants to help restrain the man.

SA国际影视传媒He was sitting right in front of me,SA国际影视传媒 he said. SA国际影视传媒淗e was acting very odd, talking to himself and staring at me. After a long day of flying from Ottawa I was in no mood for his shenanigans and I was more than happy to help.SA国际影视传媒

Mernickle said he's not a hero, and said he only did what anybody would do in a situation like this. He said flight attendants did a good job, but added they did not seem to know how to use the restraints and suggested perhaps they should receive a little more training on that.

Mernickle described the unruly passenger as an Indigenous man SA国际影视传媒 probably in his mid-40s.

Both of the people who spoke to Yellowknifer said as they were landing in Fort McMurray, two other male passengers, apparently intoxicated, also started causing problems.

SA国际影视传媒Once on the ground, a couple of other guys who were drunk and angry about being cut off were asked by the flight attendant if they would be respectful for the remainder of the flight,SA国际影视传媒 said the woman. SA国际影视传媒淭hey talked amongst themselves for a minute and then chose to get off as well.SA国际影视传媒

She added the flight, scheduled to land in Yellowknife at 11:15 p.m., finally arrived at 1:22 a.m.

in Fort McMurray confirmed a man was removed from the flight by two Mounties without incident and arrested. They would not identify him, nor say what, if anything, he had been charged with.

SA国际影视传媒(He) was held in custody until sober,SA国际影视传媒 stated Cpl. Trri-Ann Doebald in a news release.

A WestJet spokesperson confirmed the incident happened, but referred all other inquiries to and Transport Canada. Transport Canada officials have not responded as of press time.

 





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