A grandmother has been left with severe burns and flashbacks after a cup of tea spilled on a Ryanair flight, leaving her 'scarred for life'. Susan Martin, 69, from Weymouth, Dorset, was travelling to Malta with her husband Billy when the lid of her tea came off, spilling boiling water on her lap.
The incident happened 20 minutes into the three-hour flight. Susan suffered second-degree burns on her upper thighs, groin area, and lower stomach. She described hyperventilating and going into shock as crew members applied iced water and gel packs.
Susan believes the water was hotter than usual because it came directly from the back of the plane rather than the drinks trolley. 'The water was scalding hot,' she said. 'If the water comes out of the insulated jug on the drinks trolley, the drinks are never that hot.'
Upon arrival in Malta, she was taken to hospital by ambulance and treated with IV antibiotics and daily bandage changes. Since returning to the UK, she has required regular appointments for six weeks and must apply cream daily to her scars.
Susan now warns others to be cautious with hot drinks on planes. 'Can you imagine if that had been a young mother with a child or a baby on her lap?' she said. 'I would hate anyone else to go through what I have been through.' She added that she still has flashbacks and has stopped drinking hot drinks.
