Vanessa Preechakul and her boyfriend, Robert Rippingale, were on a ten and half hour flight from Singapore to New Zealand when Rippingale began choking on his dinner. Unfortunately, the doctor and two nurses who rushed to Rippingale’s aid could not save his life. Crew members covered and removed Rippingale’s body to a crew rest area, and Preechakul asked to sit with the body for the remainder of the flight. Preechakul later stated, “I had to cope—I had no choice.”
See Nicole Fabian-Weber, Woman Sits Next to Dead Boyfriend for 9 Hours on Plane, The Stir, Sep. 6, 2011.
