Man dies on Aer Lingus flight diverted to Cork
by Sean Ryan
Gardaí are investigating an incident in which a man died on board an Aer Lingus flight from Lisbon to Dublin this evening.
The flight was diverted to Cork Airport after a 24-year-old man became agitated about an hour into the two hour journey.
It is reported that he bit another passenger before being restrained.
He subsequently became unwell and then fell unconscious. The captain of the flight declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Cork Airport, where it landed at around 5.40pm this evening.
It is not clear when the man died but he was pronounced dead on board the airplane and his body remains there.
The 170 passengers and crew members have been taken from the plane and are now being interviewed by gardaí about the incident. One man, injured during the flight, has been taken to hospital.
In a statement tonight Aer Lingus has confirmed that flight EI485 from Lisbon to Dublin was forced to divert to Cork Airport. The airline says this was due to a medical emergency.
The man is not believed to be Irish but may have been studying in Ireland. He was unaccompanied on the flight. The passengers are expected to re-board the plane and fly to Dublin before midnight.
