Given the concerns about the spread of the deadly Ebola outbreak, here鈥檚 a cautionary tale of why air travellers should never joke about being sick.
A 54-year-old man aboard U.S. Airways flight 845 from Philadelphia to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Wednesday joked to other passengers that he was from Africa and said 鈥淚 have Ebola鈥� after he sneezed.
A passenger who heard the comment reported it to a flight attendant, who in turn notified the captain.
Upon landing in the Dominican Republic, a team of four health officials wearing protective full-body Hazmat suits boarded the plane and removed him.
The entire episode was recorded on video by another passenger who uploaded the footage onto YouTube.
鈥淚 ain鈥檛 from Africa鈥� I was just kidding,鈥� the man can be heard saying in the video, as he is escorted down the aisle by four officials.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know where I鈥檓 from these days鈥� can鈥檛 even make them damn laugh,鈥� the man said before leaving the plane.
鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this for 36 years. I think the man who said this is an idiot,鈥� a flight attendant told passengers in the video.
The video also captured passengers booing and taunting the man as he is taken off the plane.
鈥淲e are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus,鈥� U.S. Airways said in a statement .
The man was not from Africa. It鈥檚 been reported that he was tested, as a precaution, and sent back to the U.S. It鈥檚 unknown whether any charges were laid.
