Jack Fowler recalls ‘petrifying’ moment he thought he was going to die on plane as he slams airline for near fatal error
LOVE Island star Jack Fowler has recalled the petrifying moment he thought he would die on a plane after suffering a serious allergic reaction.
The reality star, 28, was rushed to hospital upon landing in Dubai following the terrifying in-air incident after he ate food containing nuts.
The star’s story went viral after he shared worrying footage of himself administering his EpiPen and receiving canisters of oxygen while on the flight.
Reliving his ordeal, he told The Sun: “It’s petrifying. You know, I’m petrified.
“I’m looking at my three friends that are on the flight with me and I’m saying to them, God, I think I’m going to die.
“Because I can’t breathe, you know, I can’t talk.
“I can just about breathe. And, you know, I’m having my anaphylactic shock. I’m shaking. My heart’s going crazy.
“You know, my eyes are stinging. My skin’s itching. I feel really hot.”
Jack’s had throat closed up. He needed emergency treatment immediately and alerted the air crew, begging them to land the plane.
He said: “I’m scared. I’m petrified. It couldn’t be any worse.
“Up 35,000 feet in the air with no doctor. It can’t get any worse than that.
“You go to these flights and you pay all this money, thousands of pounds in some cases, to get to a destination safely. And now this has happened.”
Jack was given five tanks of Oxygen and said the pilot was cleared to take a shorter route to get him to safety.
Jack said he hadn’t seen a menu, but was told by an air steward that his meal was a plain chicken curry free from nuts.
It turned out the sauce was blended with cashew nuts – the worse kind for Jack to consume.
He said he was asharing his experience to raise awareness and educate other air stewards of the dangers faced by passengers with allergies.
“It could all have been prevented,” he told us.
“I don’t care if they’ve got, you know, these policies that they have, right, online. They’re good. And we need them.
“But ultimately, when I ask someone, has it got nuts in? And they say no, and it has. That could have killed me.”
The Love Island hunk, who starred in the fourth series, had another brush with death last year on a plane when he was served a dessert with pistachios.
Following this, he suffered a terrifying health scare when he discovered his headache was in fact a meningitis sign.
Jack suffered abuse from some corners of the internet after sharing his ordeal on social media, with disgusting comments accusing him of seeking “free flights for life”.
He hit back at trolls and said: “I think the only compensation that I’m really wanting right now is for it not to happen to anyone else.
What to do if someone is suffering an allergic reaction
Call 999 if:
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you’re breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you’re choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you’re struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do
How to use an adrenaline auto-injector
If you or someone you’re with has a serious allergic reaction and an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen), you should use it immediately.
Instructions are included on the side of the injector.
Call 999 for an ambulance after using the injector, even if you or the person you’re with seems to be feeling better.
Source: NHS
“That, for me, is at the forefront of my mind. So that’s what I’m focusing on.”
A spokesperson for Emirates said: “We are sorry to hear of Mr Fowler’s experience and our teams on ground are providing him with all possible assistance. The safety and health of our customers is taken very seriously.
“While Emirates aims to cater to customers with specific needs by offering a variety of special meals that cover medical, dietary, and religious requirements, we cannot guarantee a nut-free inflight environment.
“We urge travellers with dietary or other medical requirements to check our website and consult their doctor before travel.”