A Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando was diverted to an airport in Jacksonville, Florida, after a battery from a passenger's item caught fire in an overhead bin, airline officials said.
Flight 259 landed safely Wednesday afternoon and taxied to the terminal, the Florida-based airline said in a statement. Several people from the flight were taken to the hospital after feeling ill.
“There was a retired fireman that jumped up and the flight crew came in and they tried putting water on it and another guy went and got a bucket because I think the fireman reached in and grabbed it and they got it put out, but it took about 20 minutes.” passenger Kerri Arakawa told FirstCoast News.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue officials said one person was taken to the hospital initially, but more people started feeling ill as time passed.
Fire Captain Eric Proswimmer told the TV station they ended up taking 10 patients to the hospital.
Updates on their conditions were not available.
“We thank our crew and guests for their quick actions to ensure the safety of everyone onboard, and we thank first responders for meeting the aircraft,” the airline said.
The airline provided refunds and vouchers to passengers, and arranged for ground transportation to Orlando.
According to the CDC, about 4,000 people die from drowning in the U.S. per year. Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi speaks with Red Cross lifeguard instructor Tyler Ranft about some best practices to stay safe in the water this summer.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday issued a warning that China is capable of cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure such as rail systems and oil and gas pipelines.
They are racing for an agreement this weekend.
A new study published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that taking daily multivitamins could boost memory in adults over the age of 60.
Zoo Miami has issued an apology to New Zealand for allowing guest to touch a kiwi, which is a national symbol for the country. "On behalf of everyone at Zoo Miami, please accept our most profound and sincere apology for the stress initiated by a video on social media depicting the handling and housing of 'Paora,' the kiwi bird that is presently under our care," the zoo said in a statement.
An Arkansas man who propped his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in a widely circulated photo from the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in prison.
The typhoon is the strongest to hit the territory of roughly 150,000 people since 2002.
Families are marking the one-year anniversary of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers.
Cheddar News anchor Hena Doba on Wednesday boarded the USS Wasp in the New York Harbor to talk with some sailors about Fleet Week, a seven-day celebration honoring the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.
It's Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and dermatologist Dr. Hope Mitchell stops by the Cheddar News studio to give some expert tips on what causes skin damage and how to take care of it.
