Turbulence in flight throws passenger into overhead luggage compartment; viral video captures rescue

An Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from Madrid to Montevideo experienced strong turbulence. The flight had to make an emergency landing in Brazil. Thirty people were reported injured, according to the BBC. The flight, UX045, was diverted to Natal airport in north-eastern Brazil, according to the airline.

An Air Europa spokesperson reported that a plane with 325 passengers encountered turbulence near the Brazilian coast. It landed normally while ambulances were present.

Airport officials mentioned some passengers required medical help and were taken to the hospital, the BBC reported. Local medical teams informed Brazilian media that they treated at least 30 passengers, with ten hospitalised. The injured passengers, according to the airline, are "receiving attention", the publication added.

Several passengers of various nationalities sustained head injuries, including cranial fractures and facial cuts, due to the turbulence.

One of the passengers was apparently thrown into the overhead luggage compartment during the turbulence. A viral video shows fellow passengers helping him down, feet-first, as the turbulence subsided.

Netizens have reacted to the video, when shared on social media. “Several cases of turbulences. Remember to always wear your seat belts throughout your journey,” wrote one user while many others advised the same.

“Did they have their seatbelts on? If not I don’t feel sorry for them,” wrote another while another pointed out, “Apparantly it was not just “hard turbulence”, the airplane had seconds of “free fall”, talk about roller coaster, luckily all survived, but now seems they struggle to get back due to non-fast responses from the airline.”

Netizens post funny comments

Some users posted humorous comments about the passenger getting thrown into the overhead compartment. “Now that companies have seen that you can travel comfortably in the luggage compartment, interesting things are coming,” wrote one user.

Another user said in apparent humour that the airline “would charge the guy for extra baggage!”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please take care when retrieving your belongings from the overhead luggage compartment as some items may have come loose during flight, including passengers,” quipped another.