Several passengers on board a flight from Las Vegas flight to Atlanta passed out on Monday and had to be wheeled away in stretchers as they waited for their airplane — which had no air conditioning despite a sweltering 111-degree heat wave. Some of the passengers even had to be revived with oxygen, while many even soiled themselves.
The passengers were aboard a Delta Air Lines flight at Harry Reid International Airport when they were required to disembark due to the extreme heat. Among them was Kirsta Garvin, a Fox News field producer, who said that the pilot announced the return to the gate following several emergencies.
Felling the Heat
According to Fox News, passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Atlanta were taxiing at Harry Reid International Airport, queued behind more than a dozen other planes when the pilot informed them that the aircraft needed to return to the gate due to multiple emergencies.
Garvin, who was on the flight, reported that multiple passengers had fainted, and some even soiled themselves as flight attendants rushed through the aisles with oxygen tanks.
Garvin reported that the pilot advised passengers to "hit your call button if you're having a medical emergency" as at least five people were taken off the aircraft on stretchers.
Some flight attendants also became unwell during the four-hour wait on the hot, idling plane. One of them had to be taken off the aircraft on a stretcher while using an oxygen mask.
Passengers were offered the choice to leave the plane, but they were informed that if they opted to do so, it might take several days before they could be accommodated on another flight to Atlanta.
Despite several passengers opting to remain on the plane, the temperatures continued to remain elevated.
According to Garvin, the decision was then made to evacuate everyone from the plane due to the large number of sick individuals and to attempt to cool down the aircraft.
Tweeting the situation, she wrote, " What an INSANE experience. First we were delayed because you did not have a flight attendant.
"Then we finally board and sit for almost 3 hours on a hot plane in 111 degree weather.
"Now we are heading back to the gate cause people are passing out. We are now being told you can get off but there isn't another flight out to ATL for days.
"This is actually nuts. Paramedics are on now. I've seen a total of three people wheeled out so far. Oxygen tanks are being pulled out.
"They said to press your call button if you need medical assistance. Babies are screaming crying. They're handing out sandwiches to the diabetics. I am just shook."
Too Hot to Handle
The National Weather Service reported that temperatures at the Las Vegas airport reached extreme levels on Monday, fluctuating between 111 and 115 degrees. The flight, which had been rescheduled to depart at 7 am on Tuesday, was canceled once again, leaving passengers disappointed.
Fox News reached out to an airport representative who claimed to be unaware of the incident, while Delta officials stated that they were looking into the matter.
Delta Airlines said in a statement that they had been investigating the situation.
"We apologize for the experience our customers had on flight 555 from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 17, which ultimately resulted in a flight cancellation," Delta said.
"Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin and we appreciate the efforts of our people and first responders at Harry Reid International."
This comes as the city of Phoenix is on track to break a record with 19 consecutive days of temperatures soaring to 110 degrees or higher.
The nights have offered little respite from the scorching heat, as the overnight low on Tuesday was only 94 F (34.4 C), marking the ninth day in a row with temperatures not dropping below 90 F (32.2 C), which is another record.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno, the lack of overnight recovery makes the conditions quite miserable.
Moreover, on Tuesday, the thermometer reached 100 F (37.8 C) before 9 a.m., making it the sixth consecutive day with such high temperatures in the morning.
