Singapore turbulent flight: Aussie survivor’s desperate plea
An Australian passenger from the ill-fated Singapore Airlines flight 321 has broken his silence from his Bangkok hospital room.
Keith Davis, previously blocked from speaking to the media, revealed the harrowing details of the flight’s emergency landing in Thailand that left his wife critically injured.
Davis’ wife has been in intensive care since their flight from London to Singapore was diverted after a passenger’s death amid severe turbulence. Speaking with the Today Show, Davis shared the severity of his wife’s condition.
“She has no sensation from her waist down, it’s pretty radical for us.
“We’ve had a fantastic holiday in the UK, we’re one more flight away, nearly home, and this comes along.”
Davis’ wife is undergoing emergency surgery to stabilise her for medical evacuation to their home in Adelaide.
“It was absolute carnage. There was no warning. We just fell into a freefall zone, and before we knew it, we were on the ceiling and then bang, on the ground.”
Davis’ wife fell into the aisle, immobile, as he realised he was bleeding profusely.
Davis lamented the lack of communication from Singapore Airlines.
“I need to know, ‘Am I going through my insurance?’ I’ve got no idea.”
Despite the airline’s heavy presence at Bangkok’s Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, Davis and his wife received no information initially.
In a bizarre twist, Davis faced a media blackout enforced by hospital staff. In a public cafe within the hospital, staff, joined by security, prevented him from speaking to the ABC’s Bill Birtles. Davis, in a wheelchair with visible facial injuries, attempted to converse over a cup of coffee but was rushed away by staff.
The hospital later apologised, with Dr Adinun Kittiratanapaibool explaining that staff acted with good intentions to protect patient welfare. Singapore Airlines also apologised, committing to support the Davis family during this difficult time and arranging travel for their relatives, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
Despite these assurances, Davis remains frustrated and hopes for a swift return to Adelaide for further medical treatment.
