Video: Woman Claiming To Have Deadly Allergy Dragged Off Southwest Airlines Flight
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Southwest Airlines is apologizing after video showed a woman being forcibly dragged off a flight after she claimed to have a deadly allergy.
The incident on board a flight scheduled to leave Baltimore en route to Los Angeles Tuesday night was caught cell phone video.
The woman can be heard yelling, insisting she'll walk off herself. When she doesn't, officers push and pull her off.
"I will walk off, don't touch me," the woman yells.
Fellow passengers can also be heard pleading with the woman to leave peacefully.
"Jeez lady get off the plane," one man says.
Bill Dumas, who recorded the video said, "I think she just lost control over the situation and she was in way over her head."
Southwest says there were two dogs on the plane, an emotional support dog and a pet, and the woman told flight staff that she had a life-threatening pet allergy.
When they asked her to provide a medical certificate, she couldn't. They then asked her several times to get off the plane. She wouldn't, which is why they called in law enforcement.
In a statement, Southwest said, "Our policy states that a Customer (without a medical certificate) may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal onboard."
Southwest said they apologize and are reaching out to the customer directly to address her concerns.
