A 16-year-old boy hopped a fence at the San Jose airport, climbed into a jet headed to Hawaii and hid in the wheel well for a five and a half hour flight. He miraculously survived despite being unconscious for most of the flight.
Yes, this story seems totally unbelievable. So much so that aviation experts question some of the details.
ABC News aviation consultant John Nance is skeptical that the teen could have survived the 2,300-mile flight in the wheel well without an oxygen source.
“I just don’t believe it,” Nance said.
Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News’ chief health and medical editor, said in order to survive inside a wheel well during a flight, the body has to fall into a hibernation-like state, with the heart only beating a couple times a minute.
“It’s near impossible, almost miraculous, and maybe there’s more to the story,” Besser said.
The boy has been turned over to child protective services. This is basically the mother of all runaway stories.
Photo via Maui News