A man who died in front of his family on an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday boarded the plane sick, according to a media report.
Tanya Woodgate told Daily Mail Australia that her husband, 38-year-old Christopher Woodgate, had a non-contagious form of meningitis that led to his death on-board Air Canada Flight AC035.
According to Air Canada, the flight was diverted to Honolulu at about 9:20 a.m. on Jan. 11 “as a result of a medical emergency.”
Woodgate was travelling with his wife and their three young children, as well as another family member with two kids.
Woodgate was sick when he boarded the plane and collapsed during the flight.
Usually, the symptoms of non-contagious meningitis are a headache, stiff neck and often a fever. It can be treated with antibiotics.
The airline said there were 257 customers and 13 crew on-board and that passengers were given hotel and food vouchers and put on a flight leaving Honolulu for Brisbane on Monday morning.
