A passenger aboard the Singapore Airlines SQ321 flight sent a heartbreaking text to his mum as he was still in the air.
Josh Barker was one of the 211 passengers aboard the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that plunged some 6,000 feet within minutes after being hit by strong turbulence.
Much like many of his fellow travellers aboard the flight, which had left London Heathrow and was making its way to Singapore, Mr Barker was left deeply concerned by the turbulence, which forced the pilot of the flight to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.
Possibly fearing the worst, the man addressed his loved one in a text delivered at 9.10am on May 21.
It read: “I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all.”
His mum Allison Barker described the “terrifying” wait that came for her after receiving her son’s message.
She told the BBC: “It was terrifying. I didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t know whether he’d survived, it was so nerve-wracking. It was the longest two hours of my life. It was awful; it was petrifying.”
Mrs Barker eventually managed to reach her son after the emergency landing performed by the Singapore Airlines pilot and was reassured about his condition.
While he survived the horrifying experience, Mr Barker was “in a lot of pain” following the turbulence and said to have suffered some injuries to his teeth.
In a statement, Singapore Airlines confirmed reports of the death of a passenger – British grandfather Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, who authorities in Bangkok believe likely suffered a heart attack.
Dozens of other passengers suffered injuries, with reports of objects flying through the cabin and people knocking their heads as the plane was engulfed in the violent turbulence.
The airline said: “Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight. We are providing all necessary assistance during this difficult time.”
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