Finger and language problems in Phuket Dec 28th 2016
Last Update: January 1, 2017 / 22:31:54 GMT/Zulu time
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Both mum and grandmum, just talking Chinese, weren't able to make themselves understood to the hotel staff while asking for medical assistance, grandmum rushed to the dining room to find help by countrymen able to speak English.
The flight crew of a Shenzhen Airlines Boeing 737-800, scheduled to depart at 02:20 the next morning and in their civilian dress, had just finished dinner when they observed the woman rushing in at about 19:00L and asking for help. They translated to the hotel front desk what had happened and accompanied the women and hotel staff with medical kits to the hotel room, where hotel staff provided first aid to the boy. It appeared the boy could not feel his finger.
The pilots decided to take the family to the hospital, about one hour after the accident they arrived at the hospital, where the doctors provided first diagnosis indicating that the cut had also damaged nerves, a surgery was needed, however, the hospital did not have the resources to perform such surgery.
Following the diagnosis at about 23:00L the pilots, with the agreement by the family, decided to take the family on their flight to Shenzhen, airline staff prepared the necessary tickets and boarding passes rebooking the original flights, the hotel packed up all belongings of family and pilots and took them to the airport, while the pilots, hiring a taxi cab, took the family to the airport directly, received the belongings, handed the family's belongings to the family, redressed into their uniforms and departed their flight ZH-9016, a Boeing 737-800 registration B-5671, on schedule arriving in Shenzhen on schedule at 06:45L, the family was rushed to a local hospital, where the boy underwent surgery.
On Jan 1st 2017 a handwritten four pages "Thank you" letter by the grandmother sent to the airline made the event known indicating that the boy is on his way to full recovery. Following the successful surgery in Shenzhen, that lasted two hours, the family made it back home to Chengdu on Dec 31st 2016 and immediately sent that letter indicating they were unable to express their appreciation of the help received in words yet tried to express their "thank you" nonetheless.
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This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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