Passengers on a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta passed out and needed to be revived with oxygen Monday, as Phoenix looked poised to break another heat record for the 19th straight day.
Passengers were boarding a Delta Air Lines flight at Harry Reid International Airport when extreme heat forced them to disembark.
Also on the flight was Fox News Field producer Kirsta Garvin, who heard the pilot announce that they would be returning to the gate after multiple emergencies.
The situation reportedly worsened and flight attendants were seen running down the aisles with oxygen tanks as passengers exited.
According to Garvin, at least five people had to get off the flight because of the heat on the plane.
Images captured in flight show fire fighters in flight as temperatures rise
According to Garvin, at least five people had to get off the flight because of the heat on the plane
Garvin said the decision was made to evacuate everyone and try to cool the plane down because of the amount of sick people.
Taking to Twitter, he said: ‘What a crazy experience. First we were delayed because you didn’t have a flight attendant.
‘Then we finally got on a hot plane for about 3 hours in 111 degree weather.
‘Now we’re going back to the gate because people are leaving. We are now being told you can get off but there isn’t another flight to ATL for a few days.
‘It’s actually nuts. Paramedics are on their way now. I have seen a total of three people wheeling out so far. Taking out the oxygen tank.
‘They told you to press the call button if you need medical help. Children are screaming and crying. They are handing out sandwiches for diabetics. I’m just shaken.’
He later updated his Twitter thread to suggest that the crew had also become ill from the temperature.
The National Weather Service reported that temperatures at the airport on Monday fluctuated between 111 and 115 degrees.
In a statement, Delta Airlines said it was investigating the situation.
A spokesman said: ‘We apologize for the experience our customers had on flight 555 from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 17, which ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the flight.
‘Delta teams are investigating the conditions that led to the uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin, and we appreciate the efforts of our people at Harry Reid International and first responders.’
Emergency crews had to board the plane and evacuate the entire plane before it was told to land
The forecast, for the most part, concerns communities in Arizona, Nevada and a wide swath of California
Heat warnings extend from the Pacific Northwest, southwest through California and into the Deep South and Florida.
A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, Monday, July 17, 2023, in downtown Phoenix.
It comes as the city of Phoenix broke a record for the 19th day today with temperatures reaching 110 degrees.
The nights provided some relief from the brutal heat. The overnight low in Phoenix fell to just 94 F (34.4 C) on Tuesday, marking the ninth straight day the temperature has not dropped below 90 F (32.2 C), another record.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno said: ‘It’s very sad when you don’t have any recovery overnight’.
The thermometer reached 100 F (37.8 C) before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the sixth day.
NOAA Climate Analysis Chief Russell Voss said: ‘This is the longest streak we’ve seen in this country.
‘When you have millions of people exposed to this kind of thermal abuse, there are implications.’
The last time Phoenix didn’t reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit was June 29, when it hit 108. On Monday, the city set a new record with temperatures not dropping below 95 (35 C).
On Monday, it was announced that the country had recorded its first death as a result of the ongoing ‘heat dome’ in the southwestern United States.
Victor Ramos died on June 24 in Harris County, Texas, where Houston is located, according to the Weather-Related Deaths Watch this year.
Victor Ramos, 67, who died on June 24, was later confirmed to have died of severe hyperthermia as a result of the heat wave.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Furnace Creek in Death Valley recorded the hottest recorded temperature on Earth in July 1913.
A sign warning of extreme heat inside a church in Tucson, Arizona on July 15, 2023 invites people to chill with Jesus.
The 67-year-old died of accidental hyperthermia.
One of the hottest places on Earth, Death Valley, which runs along part of central California’s border with Nevada, reached 128 degrees Sunday at the aptly named Furnace Creek, the National Weather Service said.
The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth at Furnace Creek was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in July 1913, said Randy Severny of the World Meteorological Organization, the body recognized as the keeper of world records.
Temperatures of 130 F or more have been recorded only a handful of times on Earth, mostly in Death Valley.
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