Ever had an intrusive thought about getting a shoe or lace stuck inside the end of an escalator or travelator? Well, a poor woman got her entire leg caught in one last year.
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I have recently come across the harrowing story that escaped me in June 2023. I simply had to share, dear readers, as it serves as a warning that such fears aren't so irrational after all.
An anonymous woman was caught in an accident that left her without her leg when she fell on a travelator. On the way to her flight, the 57-year-old woman was in Bangkok's Don Mueang airport when she tripped over her suitcase and got her leg caught in the contraption.
Emergency teams rushed over remove her from the travelator to save her leg, although the machinery had already crushed it. Numerous reports say that the team resorted to amputating her leg above the knee. Getting an impromptu amputation while still stuck in the travelator must have been terrifying.
Reports have also said that her amputated leg was placed in a foam box. They had hoped to reattach the leg to her body after transporting them both to a hospital.
Upon arrival to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, however, she was told this was not possible. Her leg was ruined, and there was no hope of a successful reattachment.
Woman Loses Leg After Getting Caught In A Travelator
Following the incident, airport director Karun Thanakuljeerapat said, "On behalf of the Don Mueang international airport, I'd like to express my deepest condolences regarding the accident. I'd like to insist that we will ensure that no such accident will happen again."
Apparently, the company promised to be fully responsible for her medical bills. They also said that they had planned to replace all their old travelators by 2025. This incident encouraged them to speed up the process, however.
According to reports, the travelator involved in this event had been running since 1996. This made it 27 years old at the time.
According to the BBC, her son wrote to Facebook, "We got to speak to her a bit before and after the operation... Even though she showed her strength through facial expression and tone of voice, we knew that deep down she was broken because she suddenly lost a leg."
Next time, I think I'll walk past the travelator, just in case.
