In a shocking incident, two individuals were discovered deceased in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft that had recently touched down at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, having taken off from New York City's JFK Airport.
This startling revelation was made by authorities who are currently investigating the matter.
As reported by The Independent, the grim discovery was made at Terminal 3 of the airport on Monday evening. Broward County sheriff's deputies and a medical examiner were reportedly present at the scene. A JetBlue spokesperson informed The Independent that the bodies were found during a "routine post-flight maintenance inspection," and that both individuals were already deceased when discovered.
The identities of the deceased, both males, have not been disclosed by investigators. The ongoing investigation aims to unravel the circumstances that led to their presence in the plane's landing gear compartment. "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred," the spokesperson stated.
The aircraft in question had been most recently utilized as Flight 1801 departing from New York, according to the airline. While it remains unclear whether the deceased were attempting to stow away on the flight, it is worth noting that it is not an uncommon occurrence for individuals to resort to hiding in planes' wheel wells, nose wells, and other unpressurized areas in an attempt to illicitly board aircraft. This perilous practice often results in tragic outcomes.
Individuals daring to hide within unpressurized wheel houses or cargo holds face life-threatening conditions. According to Reuters, they must endure freezing temperatures that can potentially drop between -58F and -76F. Additionally, they may experience oxygen deprivation and run the risk of being crushed by the aircraft's wheels.
Despite the high mortality rate associated with such desperate attempts, there have been instances where individuals have miraculously survived their harrowing ordeal. Cases have been reported at airports in Paris, Amsterdam, and Miami in recent years.
This tragic incident underscores the lengths to which some individuals will go, risking their lives in the process, in their pursuit of a better life. It also highlights the need for more stringent security measures at airports to prevent such incidents from recurring.
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