Multiple airline passengers awaiting takeoff fell ill in stifling triple-digit heat while taxiing behind more than a dozen other flights at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Monday, according to Fox News field producer Krista Garvin, who was aboard the flight.
Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta were waiting in 111-degree heat with no air conditioning when the pilot announced the plane had to return to the gate due to multiple emergencies, Garvin said.
The situation worsened and flight attendants were seen running up and down the aisles with oxygen tanks. Multiple passengers had passed out and some had soiled themselves.
Babies screamed as passengers were told to remain seated while they waited for paramedics to board the plane. Garvin said at least five people were seen being wheeled off the plane.
The pilot instructed passengers to "hit your call button if you’re having a medical emergency."
Passengers were then given a choice to exit the plane, according to Garvin, but were told that if they did, it may take days to get another flight to Atlanta.
Many passengers chose to stay on the plane, Garvin said, but temperatures inside began to rise again.
Temperatures at the airport fluctuated between 111 and 115 degrees on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
After a total of four hours on the hot plane, Garvin said stretchers were wheeled onto the plane and passengers were asked to disembark back into the airport.
Passengers were later told that flight attendants had also fallen ill and the flight may not be able to take off. Garvin said one flight attendant was wheeled out on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on.
The flight was moved to 7 a.m. Tuesday. Passengers, however, awoke to find the flight had been canceled again.
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A representative for Harry Reid International Airport said Tuesday that they were unaware of the incident. Delta Airlines said in a statement that they were investigating the cause of 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," the airline 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."
Customers also received apologies directly, as well as compensation.
