A British Airways passenger was strapped to his seat after he tried to go for a walk to stretch his legs.
Kwane Bantu, 65, was on a flight from the UK to Jamaica to visit family when he began to feel dizzy and noticed his leg was swelling, reports The Daily Mail. The Jamaican-born Londoner suffers from cancer and diabetes.
He got up for a walk, but after stumbling into the plane's business class section, says he was "ambushed" by flight crew.
"They refused to listen about my medical illness and what I was going through. I was treated like a slave."
Photographs taken by fellow passenger Joy Stoney show Mr Bantu strapped to his seat, his arms and legs tied up.
She told the Mail that Mr Bantu was told to "defecate in his seat" if he needed to use the toilet.
"The way they restrained him was absolutely preposterous. They restrained him by his shoulders via his neck and hands with straps. His ankles were strapped and on top of everything, they handcuffed him.
"What alarmed me the most was when he wanted to urinate. I know from caring for my mother that if you restrain a diabetic like that, they're going to need the toilet. He was holding his crotch area for a while and it was horrible to see."
The plane made an emergency landing on the Portuguese island of Terceira and both Mr Bantu and Ms Stoney were removed from the flight. Neither know where their luggage is or how they're going to get home.
British Airways defended its treatment of the pair, saying it took "great care" to handle the situation appropriately.
Our cabin crew and one of our pilots repeatedly asked a customer to return to his booked seat in economy after he sat in our business class cabin without permission.
"He repeatedly refused, verbally abused crew members and disturbed other customers.
"As a last resort, our cabin crew felt they had no option but to restrain the customer in the interests of the safety of everyone on board and helped him walk back to his original seat."
It's the latest in a string of in-flight incidents to mar the aviation industry in recent weeks.
- Outrage as bloodied, dazed man dragged off United Airlines flight
- American Airlines apologises to passenger in baby stroller clash
- American Airlines co-pilot dies suddenly after landing
- Mystery death of giant rabbit on United Airlines flight
- Uproar as United grounds girls wearing leggings
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