‘I don’t want to scare you’: Distressing text sent by Singapore Airlines passenger to terrified mother
A man messaged his mother “I don’t want to scare you” from the Singapore Airlines flight when the plane was hit by severe turbulence.
Josh Barker was among 211 passengers and 18 crew onboard the flight heading from London to Singapore when it was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok amid extreme weather conditions.
Passengers have spoken of their terror as some were launched into the ceiling by the sudden drop, with some 79 injured. One 73-year-old man, Geoffrey Kitchen, died from a suspected heart attack.
It’s since emerged that in the chaos, Mr Barker, texted his mother believing he could be sending her his final words.
His mother Allison Barker relayed the message to the BBC, which read: “I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing... I love you all.”
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Passengers who experienced severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight embrace after landing in Singapore (via REUTERS)
Ms Barker was then waiting for two hours before hearing from him again, saying she was petrified.
She said: “One minute, he was just sitting down wearing a seatbelt, the next minute, he must have blacked out because he found himself on the floor with other people.”
She added that her son, who was heading to Bali, had sustained minor injuries.
Passengers onboard the flight have shared the drama onboard since landing in Bangkok.
Pictures from the cabin showed oxygen masks hanging down from the plane’s ceiling, with sections fallen down or dented and broken.
Jerry, 68, who was travelling to Australia for his son’s wedding, said: “I hit my head on the ceiling, my wife did - some poor people who were walking around ended up doing somersaults.”
On Wednesday morning, Singapore Airlines said 58 people remained under treatment at several medical sites across Bangkok, including 20 in intensive care facilities.
A total of 27 had so far been discharged, said the airline. Some 131 passengers have continued their journey on to Singapore.
As investigations start, the airline’s chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong made an apology online.
In a video on social media, he said: “We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through.”
He said the airline was providing all necessary support and pledged it would fully cooperate in investigations.
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