Amid the growing number of people who have died of the Ebola virus in West Africa and given the fears generated over the possibility of the epidemic spreading in other parts of the world, it isn't the best time to crack jokes about having been infected by the highly fatal virus.
A US Airways passenger who boarded a plane in Philadelphia, however, did exactly that, scaring other passengers and prompting an investigation of the plane when it arrived in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
The troublesome passenger, who was said to be coughing during the flight, was overheard by another passenger saying that he has Ebola and that he came from Africa. The other passenger then informed a flight attendant, who then alerted the flight's captain. As a result, the airplane, which was carrying 290 passengers bound for Punta Cana, was halted on the tarmac for possible health issues onboard.
A passenger who uploaded a YouTube video of the scuffle inside US Airways Flight 845 said that although the flight attendants were certain that the man was just joking, they did not want to take any chances, which resulted in local officials showing up in full hazmat suits.
Four men in blue-colored protective suits conducted an investigation and it turned out that the passenger's claim of having been struck ill by the Ebola virus was a hoax. Flight passengers, however, some of whom may have been scared by the prank, had to stay on the plane for a while as the officials investigated.
"Once we landed in Punta Cana we were told by the flight attendants that there was a situation and that a passenger may have been in Africa and had Ebola," the passenger who uploaded the video on YouTube wrote. "It was later confirmed that the passenger was never in Africa and after 2hrs we were finally able to get off the plane."
The uploaded video shows men in full hazmat suits boarding the plane and later escorting the unnamed passenger off the airplane.
"We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus," US Airways said in a statement. "The flight was checked by officials and cleared. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but the safety of our customers and employees is our first priority."
