Passenger dies on Lufthansa flight after reportedly losing 'liters of blood'
A 63-year-old man died on an international Lufthansa flight on Thursday after "liters of blood" gushed from his nose and mouth, according to multiple reports.
The unidentified man boarded flight LH773 from Bangkok to Munich with a woman believed to be his wife on Thursday, according to Swiss-German news outlet Blick.
Witnesses Martin and Karin Missfelder told Blick they were sitting one row behind the man, and that he looked unwell when he boarded the plane. The Missfelders told the outlet he had "cold sweats" and was "breathing much too quickly" in a translated quote. The man's wife said his condition was due to the couple rushing to catch the flight.
Karin Missfelder told Blick the man's symptoms worried the crew but they allowed the man to remain on the flight. She said her concerns for the man persisted and she told a flight attendant a doctor should examine the man.
Karin Missfelder told the outlet the plane's captain arrived and briefly spoke to the man, at which point he called for a doctor over the loudspeaker. A Polish man around 30 years old came and briefly examined the man.
Martin Missfelder said the doctor didn't do much to treat the man beyond checking his pulse and asking him how he felt.
"They then gave him a little chamomile tea, but he already spit blood into the bag that his wife held out to him," Martin Missfelder said in a translated quote.
Martin Missfelder also told Blick that at one point, blood gushed out of the man's nose and mouth and that the man lost "liters of blood," some of which splattered onto the plane's walls.
"It was absolute horror. Everyone was screaming," Martin Missfelder told Blick in a translated quote.
Flight returned to Bangkok after 90 minutes
According to Martin Missfelder, flight attendants tried to resuscitate the passenger for about half an hour but were unsuccessful.
According to Flightradar24.com, the plane took off around 12:07 a.m. local time and was in the air for about an hour and a half before turning around.
Karin Missfelder told Blick the man, now dead, was carried into the gallery as the plane returned to the airport.
A Lufthansa representative confirmed the death to USA TODAY in an emailed statement Wednesday.
"Although immediate and comprehensive first aid measures were taken by the crew and a doctor on board, the passenger died during the flight," a Lufthansa representative said in the statement.
"After 1.5 hours of flight time, the crew decided to return to Bangkok, where the aircraft landed normally and safely. There, the instructions of the medical emergency services and the Thai authorities were followed," the statement read.
"Our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased passenger. We also regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers of this flight," Lufthansa said.
The company said it cannot provide any further details in the event of medical emergencies for privacy reasons.
Arguing couple diverts Lufthansa flight to Delhi
In November 2023, a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Bangkok was forced to divert after an arguing couple caused a major scene onboard.
According to a Lufthansa spokesperson, flight 772 left Munich as scheduled but had to divert to Delhi, India, due to an unruly passenger.
'Tried to burn a blanket': Arguing couple diverts Bangkok flight to Delhi
The Times of India reported that a 53-year-old German man was arguing with his wife, who is believed to be Thai. He “threw food, tried to burn a blanket using a lighter, shouted at his wife and did not follow the instructions issued by the crew,” according to the paper.
“The person in question was handed over to the authorities,” Muscal said. “The passenger has been banned from traveling on Lufthansa Group flights with immediate effect.”
Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lufthansa flight passenger dies after losing 'liters of blood'
