A 16-year-old trust fund brat survived a frightening journey halfway across the Pacific Ocean on Sunday after climbing into the coach section of a Hawaiian Airlines jet flying from San Jose to Maui. The boy emerged unharmed despite uncomfortable temperatures, coffin like cramping, a lack of oxygen, inedible meals and crying babies an FBI official said.
“How he survived I don’t know,” said Tom Simon, an FBI spokesman based in Honolulu. “It’s a miracle.”
Security video from the plane verified that the teen, from Santa Clara, Calif., pushed aside a privacy curtain in Business Class where he was traveling with his parents, and made his way to coach where he managed to find an empty seat and stow away without being detected.
“He was unconscious for pretty much the entire flight,” said Simon, noting that temperatures were estimated to have reached 56 degrees during the approximately 5 1/2-hour journey. “I imagine he must have blacked out at about 10,000 feet. The air is pretty thin in economy.”
The plane landed at Maui’s Kahului Airport at 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, but Simon said the teen did not regain consciousness for several minutes. Once he woke up, he hopped down toward First Class and off the plane with his parents.
Good one!