Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
11 July 2011 09:59
Jeff Ellis with the mobile phone image of the scorpion which stung him
A US air passenger has spoken of his shock after being stung by a scorpion while on a domestic flight to Alaska.
Oregon resident Jeff Ellis was taking a nap in his seat on the Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Anchorage when he felt something creep up his sleeve.
He said he brushed it off at first but felt the creature crawling back. "I picked my hand up and said, 'Oh, my God. That's a scorpion'," said Mr Ellis.
And before he could get the scorpion off his hand using a napkin, he was stung on the elbow and felt a burning sensation much like a "bee sting".
The incident, which occurred on June 17, may be a rare case, but a medical travel insurance is always handy to have in unexpected emergencies.
Mr Ellis' girlfriend Suzanne Foster said: "At first I didn't believe him. But then I saw it. He held the napkin up for me to see, and I saw the tail wiggling. I pretty much jumped out of my seat."
Flight crews were very attentive and helpful, said Mr Ellis who was checked by two doctors on board.
Medics were called in to give him another check when the plane landed at Anchorage. The airline has now offered him 4,000 frequent-flier miles and two round-trip tickets.
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
[more...]
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.
06 September 2018
Plastic trays at security desks harbour the highest numbers of viruses at airports, new research has discovered.
05 September 2018
Adults are being urged to take advantage of a new online tool to find out if they are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
04 September 2018
Child cancer patients regularly have to travel twice as far and pay out twice as much when getting treatment, new data shows.