Passenger Suffers Scorpion Sting on YYC-Bound United Flight
Jeff Edwards April 14, 2017
The United Airlines passenger was reportedly treated for a non-life-threatening injury after the insect dropped from an overhead bin and stung him.
A United Airlines passenger headed from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Calgary International Airport (YYC) had only a moment to be surprised before he suffered a painful sting from a tropical arachnid that had reportedly just fallen from above his seat. Eyewitnesses on the flight say that the inch-and-a-half-long scorpion first landed in the passenger’s hair before dropping onto a tray table.
Richard Bell, who was returning from a two-week vacation in Mexico, says he was stung after brushing the tropical insect from his hair. Richard’s wife, Linda Bell explained that the couple didn’t immediately identify the creature as a scorpion. “I look down and I thought, ‘aw, it kind of looks like a little lobster,'” she recounted to Global News Canada.
Unfortunately, by the time a nearby passenger pointed out that the space-invading insect was in fact a venomous scorpion, Richard Bell had already learned this fact the hard way – suffering a sting when he tried to remove the eight-legged pest from the tray table. Bell later told reporters that the sting “felt like a wasp sting.”
A fellow passenger exacted revenge on the insect, stepping on the scorpion and flushing it in a lavatory. The seemingly heroic action had the unintended result of preventing EMTs at YYC from confirming that Bell’s injury was caused by an exotic insect.
United Airlines, however, confirmed some details of the unlikely incident in a statement. The airline described Bell’s injury as “non-life threatening” and said that it is investigating the matter, but believes that the offending pest was likely a stowaway in a passenger’s carry-on bag.
Amazingly, this is not the first time a scorpion has wreaked havoc on a flight headed to a not-quite-tropical locale. In February of 2015, an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Portland International Airport (PDX) was getting ready to take off when a passenger was stung by a stowaway scorpion, forcing the plane to return to the terminal.
Dear Jeff... first, scorpions aren't insects because they have eight legs. Second, the arachnid was most probably a stowaway on a carry on. They will crawl into anything left on the floor of your hotel room, most frequently your shoes. One common species can climb walls and drop from ceilings (Arrrgh!) but actually that doesn't happen often because they are looking for water sources with insects to eat. It's safe to sleep on a bed you've inspected. Don't be paranoid on your Mexican (or American Southwest) vacation, be prepared. Inspect your room. If your room is on or near the ground floor, be especially vigilant. Scan the floor under the bed and crevices with your phone's flashlight function. Scorpions are nocturnal, so don't just bring your phone charger, bring several LED night lights and even a 6' extension cord so you can see where you're walking barefoot. They are attracted to water sources, so flip toilet seats with a tool and don't stick your hands into cluttered sinks. Wear your glasses into the shower, inspect it, and put them on again to inspect the floor outside before stepping out. Always shake out your shoes and slippers. See: www.mexperience.com/stung-by-a-scorpion Don't be fooled by people who insist scorpion stings are trivial. There is no way to know how you will react to the neurotoxin, and second exposures are even more likely to cause anaphylaxis. It can take an hour before you react. Even modest Mexican clinics are prepared with scorpion antivenom, so find one fast after you wash the wound with soap and take an antihistamine. In the U.S., just hang close to an ER until you're still breathing OK after two hours. American ERs are hyper-expensive, don't have the antivenom, but can get you ventilated fast if you stop breathing in the waiting room. Have fun on your vacation, a sting is unlikely... but now you know how to avoid and/or deal with one.
This was on UA? You sure it wasn't one of the crew who bit the passenger?
Vacationing in Mexico? Those of us familiar with scorpions, not exactly appearing in large numbers in/around IAH, might suggest that the nasty little critter may have boarded South of the Border, flying in this pax's own carry on. After decades, I still turn my shoes over and give them a hearty tap before donning them, knowing how often those blamed sandy crawdads seek shelter therein.