Two passengers were arrested at Miami International Airport after refusing to deplane an American Airlines flight bound for Las Vegas on Tuesday. 27-year-old Eugenio Ernesto Hernandez-Garnier had a bleeding head wound and blood-soaked bandages.
Flight attendants were concerned for the man’s medical condition (and, presumably, the possibility that the flight would be forced to divert as a result) as well as exposure to the man’s blood asked him to clean up the wound and replace the bandages. But the one he was wearing is the only one he had.
- He and his wife, Yusleydis Blanca Loyola, were asked to leave the aircraft.
- They refused, declaring “if they could not fly, no one else can either.”
- Police were called. They boarded the aircraft and asked them again to deplane.
The passengers were told that they would be arrested for trespassing if they did not comply – but the couple remained defiant. That’s when the man’s wife began shouting that he’d just had surgery – it appears it may have been a hair transplant.
Eventually, they were both handcuffed following brief resistance and removed them from the aircraft along with all other passengers. Passengers cheered and clapped as the couple was escorted off the plane. They were both taken to Jackson West Medical Center for evaluation before being taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Hernandez-Garnier and Loyola face charges of trespassing after a warning and resisting an officer without violence. This is, more or less, de rigueur for a flight from South Florida to Vegas.
Instead of compassion, call the police. Why not tape on a sanitary pad? They are designed for blood. American Airlines once again.
Both they and AA lack problem solving àbility
I’m guessing you would be comfortable sitting next to him on the flight?
Ah yes MIA, the drama queen of U.S. airports. Arrive early if you want some entertainment.
We saw a ton of these guys in Istanbul. Inexpensive hair transplants.
What gate agent let him on the plane?
No pictures? What a jip.
I am a nurse and compassion woman, what AA did it shut be penalties, because they didn’t offer any help, call that damm police. Horrible and sad
If I was I will resolve the problem with this patient. I always carry everything with me.
Why is anyone defending them? He was a medical hazard who would/could not fix the risk. They were asked to deplane. They refused….cops called. What should AA have done? Bandage his head? No. Let him go anyway? No.
I’m frustrated at the response in cases like this when the cops are called. What do you do when a passenger refuses to deplane? Let them stay? Then, everybody in the future will ignore an order to deplane.
I would have to ask the question did the passengers try to find out what the airlines company policy is in regards to transporting some with open wounds it’s been many years since my Flight Attendant training with American Airlines (1990) but anyone with open wounds or sores is of great concerns (All flouids is bad fluids – back then) not sure what the standards are today. Where is his statement from a medical professional saying that he is safe to travel as of that date of flight. It’s not that they don’t have compassion, it’s all about the safety for everyone on board of the aircraft.
This is exactly why FAs should be given billy clubs. Let them mete beat downs as needed.
The article said he had a “bleeding head wound” and that they were concerned that they might have to divert as a result once in the air, PLUS we don’t know about the guy’s blood. Too any red flags for me. While calling the police might seem excessive, they didn’t want to leave on their own. AA didn’t want to be responsible if there was a bigger medical emergency because of this. What if he didn’t stop bleeding? Who wants to sit next to that guy?
@Liana Brown wrote: “I am a nurse and compassion woman, what AA did it shut be penalties, because they didn’t offer any help, call that damm police. Horrible and sad
If I was I will resolve the problem with this patient. I always carry everything with me.”
Since you are a nurse and medical professional who carries everything with you, please let us know how you would resolve a passenger’s bleeding head wound before departure with this non-compliant patient and his wife refusing the flight crew’s instructions to deplane. I do not understand why you say it is “horrible and sad” that the flight crew asked for police assistance to remove two passengers who would not follow flight attendant instructions.
I learned from reading this Gary Leff article that after scalp surgery, a passenger with a “bleeding head wound and blood-soaked bandages” boarded an American Airlines flight. I know that flight attendants are trained that some passengers can be a walking biohazard. Bleeding passengers have the potential to infect the other passengers and flight crews by transmitting bloodborne and body fluid pathogens like Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Plasmodium falciparum (malaria), Treponema pallidum (syphilis), Brucellosis, Epstein-Barr virus (infectious mononucleosis), Ebola virus, Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 and more. I believe an American Airlines aircraft parked at the gate will not be as clean and germ-free as a surgical suite in most hospitals or medical urgent care centers. Considering infection control, I prefer performing patient wound care in a cleaner environment and not in an aircraft before departure when given a choice.
After the concerned flight attendants requested this passenger and his wife to leave the aircraft, they refused. Instead, they verbally threatened, “if they could not fly, no one else can either.” Accordingly, the American Airlines flight crew called the police. Law enforcement boarded the aircraft and asked these two passengers again to deplane.
Nurse Brown, as I am a frequent flyer and a paramedic, please share your knowledge of why you believe the American Airlines flight attendants did anything wrong. This American Airlines flight crew did an excellent job of protecting their other passengers from a non-compliant couple before departure.
jns “Why not tape on a sanitary pad”
Actually a good idea!
I dunno I think flight attendants are too bossy nowadays.
There is a way to approach the guy to get a good result.
“Excuse me sir, you won’t be able to fly with open wounds. But let me help you fix it so you will be able to fly…” Follow up with, “Sir please let me help you, I want to help I want you to get to Las Vegas… If we can take care of this now it absolutely will not be a problem.” Then get him a sanitary pad and some tape and ask his wife to fix him up. If people believe you are honestly trying to help them, they react differently than if you are more bossy about it.
And no I wouldn’t mind sitting next to him, moms and grandmas have years of dealing with accidents and illnesses. A little bleeding from hair transplants? Not the end of the world. Now if he was drunk or high that wouod be different.
Come on, man, where’s the video? We get videos of prima donnas clipping their toenails, but nothing for a bloody head bandaged guy getting booted off the flight by cops?
I am very disappointed in his fellow passengers for failing in their duty to keep me entertained.
Way to go Ameican Airlines. What gate agent let the guy board with this type of injury? Nothing but the best hires!!!!!!
Reminds me of Massive Headwound Harry!