How running two minutes late saved man’s life from the Ethiopian Airlines crash
There were eight crew members and 149 passengers – it could have been 150 passengers though.
But Greek man Antonis Mavropoulos, the president of non-profit NGO the International Solid Waste Association, was running behind schedule.
Mr Mavropoulos wrote on Facebook in a post titled “My lucky day” he was two minutes late for the flight and when he arrived boarding had closed.
He wrote he was “screaming” for someone to let him on the plane but wasn’t allowed to board.
“The airport’s people, courteous, prompted me on the next flight leaving at 11.20am, apologised to me for the inconvenience and took me to a nice lounge for the three-hour wait,” Mr Mavropoulos wrote.
He tried to board the flight at about 10.50am but was pulled aside by security and taken to the police station of the airport. The Greek man had no idea why.
“He (police officer) kindly told me not to protest and say thank God, because I am the only passenger who did not get on flight ET 302 and that’s why they cannot let me go until they know who I am because I did not get on the flight,” Mr Mavropoulos wrote.
“At first I thought he was lying, but his style left no room for doubt.”
He waited in another room for half an hour and received an SMS from a friend that news of the doomed flight was being reported by Greek media.
“Then I realised that I had to immediately contact my own people and tell them that I was not in,” Mr Mavropoulos wrote.
“Really, it’s the first time I’m so glad I wrote a post and I’m grateful to live and that I have so many friends that made me feel their love – kisses to all and a warm thank you for your touching support.”
https://news.freepopulation.com/2019/03/11/how-running-two-minutes-late-saved-mans-life-from-the-ethiopian-airlines-crash/