Airline travel has its fair share of strict rules, but one recent incident took an unexpected turn when a man was arrested for refusing to leave a plane due to his bleeding head. Eugenio Ernesto Hernandez-Garnier now finds himself in custody after resisting the crew’s request to disembark from a Miami-to-Las Vegas flight because of his condition, as reported by Miami’s Local 10 News.
The situation began when Hernandez-Garnier boarded the plane with a visibly bloody forehead, covered by a dirty bandage. The crew, concerned about the potential spread of blood and the passenger’s health, asked him to clean up and replace the bandage. However, Hernandez-Garnier informed them that he did not have another bandage available. With no other options, the crew asked him to leave the plane.
Instead of complying, Hernandez-Garnier and his companion, Yusleydis Blanca Loyola, decided to take a stand. “If we can’t fly, no one else can either,” they declared. Loyola claimed that Hernandez-Garnier had recently undergone surgery, which she suggested was the reason for the bleeding. Although the arrest report did not specify the nature of the surgery, the Independent reported that it might have been a hair transplant.
Despite the crew’s repeated warnings that refusal to leave would result in arrest, Hernandez-Garnier and Loyola remained defiant. Eventually, the situation escalated to the point where American Airlines ordered all passengers off the plane, causing a delay for everyone on board.
Both Hernandez-Garnier and Loyola were eventually escorted off the plane by authorities. Before being taken into custody, they were evaluated at a nearby hospital to ensure they were medically fit. Following the evaluation, they were transferred to a local jail, where they were charged with trespassing after a warning and resisting an officer without violence.
The incident highlights the importance of following airline crew instructions, particularly when it comes to health and safety concerns. What began as a routine request to address a medical issue turned into an ordeal that not only delayed the flight but also resulted in legal consequences for the passengers involved.