Reality TV star suffers near-fatal allergic reaction after eating curry on Emirates flight | Trending

Jack Fowler, a reality TV star who appeared on Love Island, had a traumatic near-death experience while flying with Emirates. Fowler, 28, suffers from a severe nut allergy and informed the flight attendant who served him his meal. He trusted the flight attendant and opted for a chicken dish. “Immediately his throat tightened and breathing became extremely difficult,” as the dish did indeed contain nuts. After landing, Fowler was taken to hospital.

In an Instagram post, he described his experience, writing: “I told a flight attendant that I couldn’t breathe and asked if there were nuts in the food. Again, I was told there were no nuts in the chicken curry. It was only when my friend asked to see the menu for the first time that I realised it was a ‘Creamy Chicken Curry with Cashews’.” (Also read: Emirates’ 4am call to father of Indian girl who missed her flight in Dubai: ‘I wasn’t worried for a moment’)

He added: “This left me with a real possibility of dying on the plane, knowing I needed emergency treatment immediately. I was given five oxygen cylinders and also my adrenaline pen (EpiPen). I told the flight controller, ‘If you don’t land this plane soon, I’m going to die on this plane.’ This then led to the pilot accelerating the flight.”

At the end of his post, he named Emirates as the victim, saying the airline was not “good enough.” He also blamed them for the incident.

Check out the post shared by Fowler here:

Responding to the incident, an Emirates spokesperson told Khaleej Times: “While Emirates tries to accommodate customers with special needs by offering a variety of special meals that cover medical, dietary and religious requirements, we cannot guarantee a nut-free environment on board. We urge travellers with dietary or other medical requirements to visit our website and consult their doctor before travelling.” (Also read: ‘Emirates was ready with hotel bookings’: Indian CEO after missing flight in Dubai)

The news agency also informed passengers that the airline had warned them that there was a possibility that other passengers would bring nut-containing foods and that the air conditioning and other surfaces of the aircraft could absorb traces of nut residue. Emirates asked passengers to select a special diet from the range of dietary meals rather than from the in-flight menu. Online reservations for dietary meals are accepted up to 24 hours before departure.