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Post by admin on Sept 5, 2011 0:02:31 GMT 10
A 31-year-old New Zealander choked and died eating an airline meal on a Jetstar flight from Singapore to Auckland, a newspaper reports.
His girlfriend, Vanessa Preechakul, 27, told the New Zealand Herald on Sunday how she sat next to the body of Robert Rippingale after he was moved to a curtained off crew rest area for most of the 11-hour flight, last Monday.
A doctor on board pronounced him dead 90 minutes after take-off.
"One minute we were sitting next to eachother kissing, holding hands and the next minute he was choking," she said at his funeral on Saturday.
She said Rippingale was eating his beef dinner while watching a movie when she noticed him shaking, but at first she didn't realise anything was wrong.
"I thought he was laughing very hard, then I looked at his face and his eyes were rolling and he couldn't talk. His lips were turning purple."
She said a doctor and two nurses on board were unable to save him.
The pair met in Singapore, where Rippingale had lived and worked for three years. They were going to New Zealand to meet his family and to celebrate his parents' 50th birthdays.
A spokesman for the Australian airline Jetstar, Andrew McGinnes, said the cause of death was unknown and an inquest would be held.
He expressed condolences to the family and thanks to the doctor and nurses who tried to save Rippingale.
"This was a very difficult and sad event and our sympathies are with the passenger's family," he said.
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