November 21st 2024.
As the plane was preparing to take off, a surprising and terrifying discovery was made by one of the passengers. A snake had somehow managed to sneak onto the aircraft, setting the scene for a real-life horror movie. The incident took place on a Virgin flight from Broome, in Western Australia, and luckily, it had a happy ending.
The situation unfolded on a Thursday morning, when a passenger spotted the unwelcome stowaway and immediately alerted the crew. Despite the unsettling discovery, the passengers remained surprisingly calm. Their main concern seemed to be the fact that they were told they would have to disembark from the plane while the snake was dealt with.
Fortunately, they had a hero among them in the form of Andre Rerekura, a TV star who stars in the Disney Plus series Shipwreck Hunters Australia. Without hesitation, he took matters into his own hands and removed the snake himself. Andre simply picked up the reptile, a Stimson's python, after it slithered up to his feet.
Recalling the bizarre turn of events, Andre explained that the plane was just about to take off when the snake was spotted. "They pretty much shut the whole plane down and everyone was going to get disembarked and sent off the plane, which we weren't that keen for because everyone wanted to go home," he said in an interview with ABC.
He also added that some passengers were skeptical about the whole situation, with one even describing it as a "weird story". However, things took a more serious turn when a lady behind him screamed and the snake moved further up the cabin, appearing right next to him.
But Andre, who had recently been filming a series with sea snakes in the region, remained calm and quickly identified the python as a non-venomous and harmless species. He scooped it up and took it off the plane, much to the relief of the passengers. "As soon as I saw it, I identified it pretty easily...so I knew it was safe [and] I knew it was just scared and super shy," he said.
However, the situation caused quite a stir among the crew, with some of the flight attendants even running in the opposite direction. "After [seeing that], I wanted to get it off real quick," Andre joked. But his quick thinking and bravery earned him praise from both the passengers and the airline staff.
After the 20-minute delay, the plane finally took off and landed safely in Perth a few hours later. And while some may have been reminded of the 2006 movie "Snakes on a Plane", Andre remained unfazed by the whole ordeal. "Only in Australia, I guess," he said.
In the end, the passengers were relieved that they didn't have to disembark and were happy that the snake was safely removed. The airline even offered Andre a complimentary drink as a thank you, but he settled for a soda water instead.
The incident caused quite a stir on social media, with one of the flight attendants even making a lighthearted announcement over the intercom. "There is never a dull moment in aviation - but that certainly takes the cake," she said, before reassuring the passengers that the snake had been safely removed.
In an interview with Channel 10 News, Andre described the snake as "crazy cute", adding that it was a memorable experience. And as for the Broome International Airport chief executive, Craig Shaw, he remained uncertain about how the reptile ended up on the plane and directed any enquiries to the airline.
As for Andre, he continued on with his journey, grateful for the unexpected excitement and a happy ending. "Only in Australia, I guess..." he said, summing up the whole experience. It just goes to show that anything can happen when you least expect it. But luckily for the passengers on that Virgin flight, they had a hero in their midst to save the day. Shipwreck Hunters Australia can now add another thrilling adventure to their resume, which is streaming on Disney Plus.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
