Panic Attack-Stricken Senior Citizen Causes Ruckus On Flight; Doctors Gave Sedatives To Calm Him

Travelling by air is truly a hassle. It seems that every other day, there is some news or the other about how a passenger misbehaved with the crew or a co-passenger. In the latest incident, a senior citizen travelling on an Air India flight had a moment. He suffered from a severe panic attack and went on to yell and curse for about seven hours on the plane. Following this, he was sedated so that the flight could progress smoothly.

Senior Citizen On An Air India Flight Has Panic Attack

This is a great example of how mental health issues can run amok when not treated with the medical care and help that is required. In an Air India flight that was headed toward Mumbai from Newark, a senior citizen suffered a major panic attack.

According to an article by The Times of India, the person was seen speaking to a flight attendant. However, he soon began to get angry and started yelling. He demanded to be disembarked from the plane and when the flight attendant tried to dissuade him, he began hurling curses.

According to eyewitness accounts, he was oscillating between rage and calm. At one point, things got so bad he even tried to strangle his wife who was accompanying him. Other flight attendants and passengers had to intervene.

Also Read: 200 Handpicked Antiques From Air India’s Collection To Be Displayed For The 1st Time In Mumbai!

Two Doctors Forced To Put Him Under Sedation

According to an eyewitness, it seemed that the senior citizen had flown with the crew before because one of the flight attendants tried to pacify him by saying that he had flown with them the last time and things were fine.

However, when it seemed like his panic attack wouldn’t let up, two doctors on board, Dr Venugopal and Dr Patel stepped in. They were forced to administer sedatives to the senior citizen and that’s when things finally calmed down.

Fortunately, the rest of the flight went smoothly after that and the pilot of the aircraft even made an announcement in the flight thanking the two doctors for their service.

Also Read: Delhi-Sydney Air India Flight Experiences Turbulence Mid-Air; Several Injured!

Has anything similar ever happened on a flight that you were travelling on? Let us know in the comments below!

Cover Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons