WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines is responding to a woman’s claims that flight attendants kept her from calling her suicidal husband before take-off and during the flight. By the time she was able to call police to check on him, the man had died.
According to reports, Karen Momsen-Evers claims the Southwest Airlines attendants “slapped the phone down” and forced her to go into “airplane mode” with her phone before takeoff. He had reportedly just received a text message from her husband. She got off a text in response, but was unable to call him, she told a local television station in Wisconsin.
“The steward slapped the phone down and said you need to go on airplane mode now,” Momsen-Evers told WTMJ. Momsen-Evers implored the attendant to help, calling it a matter of life and death, but she she was told the rule was an FAA regulation, according to her story. She attempted another call at cruising altitude, but was refused by another attendant, she told the news station.
When she landed, she called the police, but it was too late. They met her at her home, where her husband was found dead.
“We are unable to share details surrounding this event but are saddened to learn of Mrs. Evers’ loss, and the Southwest Family extends our deepest condolences,” an airline spokesperson told Mashable.
Southwest denies that Momsen-Evers’ phone was “slapped down” but appeared to defend its actions in a written statement after the story hit the news:
“Our flight attendants are responsible for executing Safety procedures to prepare a flight for departure and arrival, in accordance with FAA regulations, while assisting the up to 100 plus passengers onboard. Southwest Airlines transports more than 100 million Customers a year and it’s not uncommon for our Crews to assist passengers with life events. In each situation, our Employees utilize their training to handle a wide variety of situations to the best of their ability.”
“I go to sleep at night thinking what could I have done, what should I have done,” Momsen-Evers told WTMJ. “The pain of knowing something could have been done, it breaks my heart.”
