A four-month old traveling with his 39-year-old mother on a United Airlines flight to El Paso Texas began to overheat and go limp.
According to France, the plane, which was set to fly from Denver International Airport to Texas, had been delayed for close to two hours on the tarmac due to bad weather and the lack of enough fuel for the direction the plane would have to travel to get to El Paso.
France said she was allowed to exit the plane for 20 minutes but was asked to re-board for takeoff. Shortly afterward, there was another delay because of the bad weather.
She said she turned on the vents, but hot air was being expelled. She said the plane just sat there. She hit the call back and informed the staff that where she was sitting was getting very hot.
France said the flight crew allowed her and the child to stand at the door for some air. They even brought ice bags for him. She said her child’s body began to get red and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. France said it was shortly after that he went limp.
United Airlines said the incident should never have occurred, issuing an apology to France and her child for their experience. They said they were looking into how the incident occurred and what they could to do to ensure it didn’t happen again.
The captain called for paramedics, which responded within 20 minutes of the call. He was treated at a local hospital and released.
France said she just wanted to share her son’s story to ensure that nobody has to go through it again.