Stowaway Survives 11-hour-long Flight From South Africa To Amsterdam

In a shocking incident, a stowaway has been found alive in the wheel of a plane after an 11-hour flight from South Africa to Amsterdam. The unidentified man was found alive at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport yesterday morning. He was hiding in the nose wheel of a cargo plane from South Africa.

The Dutch military police (Royal Netherlands Marechaussee) said the man was 'doing well under the circumstances' and had been transported to hospital.

Op Schiphol is in het neuswiel van een vrachtvliegtuig uit Z-Afrika een verstekeling aangetroffen. De man maakt het naar omstandigheden goed en is vervoerd naar het ziekenhuis. De Marechaussee doet onderzoek. #KMar_PenB_SPL pic.twitter.com/A7DXGmIbpf

¡ª Koninklijke Marechaussee (@Marechaussee) January 23, 2022

What does stowaway mean?

For the uninitiated, a stowaway is someone who hides on a ship, airplane, etc., in order to travel without paying or being seen.

Due to the obviously dangerous risks that come with hiding on a ship, airplane etc, stowaways rarely survive flights due to the low temperatures and oxygen levels at high altitudes.

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that the man was able to answer basic questions and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Dutch military police spokesperson Joanna Helmonds said: "The man was found alive in the nose wheel section of the plane and was taken to hospital in a stable condition."

"It is quite remarkable that the man is still alive," Helmonds added.

Reporter Wings (Representational image)

The anonymous stowaway was found on a flight operated by Cargolux Italia. According to flight tracking data, there was only one freight flight operated by the airline from Johannesburg to Schiphol yesterday.

This particular flight stopped in Nairobi, Kenya. However, it is still unclear when and how the stowaway hid in the wheel.

A Cargolux spokesperson told The Guardian, "We are not in a position to make any further comment until the authorities and the airline have completed their investigation."

Sleek Gist (Representational image)

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