Passengers and crew aboard a Delta Airlines flight were thanking a local firefighter after he de-escalated an onboard situation.

Oak Bay firefighter Brad Scott was flying from Seattle to Phoenix with his wife and youngest daughter on Dec. 20. Despite long delays caused by the storm, the flight began pleasantly enough.

B次元官网网址淎t the beginning, I got talking to the flight attendant,B次元官网网址� Scott said, noting it turned out she was from Windsor, Ont. B次元官网网址淲e started talking a bit which I think helped the situation because we were getting a rapport with her.B次元官网网址�

Shortly after the drink service Scott heard some thumping and felt a tap on his shoulder. At the back of the plane, a man was in a confrontation with one of the flight attendants.

B次元官网网址淲ith him being a male, them being two females, I just asked if she needed help and she said B次元官网网址榶es please,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Scott said.

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Scott and one other male passenger on the flight engaged with the distraught passenger near the rear of the plane.

B次元官网网址淲e ended up holding him so the flight attendant could get the zap strap handcuffs on him in the back galley, and settle him down,B次元官网网址� Scott said. B次元官网网址淚t lasted about 15 minutes before we got him seated.B次元官网网址�

The flight had to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas, where passengers disembarked while local paramedics, firefighters and police treated the man. Scott was interviewed by authorities along with a few other passengers directly involved in the incident in Las Vegas. He hasnB次元官网网址檛 been contacted by U.S. authorities since.

Scott has been a firefighter in Oak Bay for 17 years, and credits his emergency experience and training for helping him diffuse the situation.

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B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 really think about it, but when something like this happens we are very fortunate to have the training we have,B次元官网网址� Scott said. B次元官网网址淭he first thing is to try and de-escalate the situation and bring it down to normal. Anyone in our job would have done the same thing, and would feel comfortable doing because of how well trained we are.B次元官网网址�

According to Scott, most of the passengers on the plane werenB次元官网网址檛 aware of the situation.

In order to protect the privacy of the agitated passenger, Scott decline to comment on the manB次元官网网址檚 specific triggers that day, though he didnB次元官网网址檛 think the man was intoxicated.

Scott and the rest of the passengers eventually made it to Phoenix at around 3:30 a.m. the next morning.

jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
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