Flight Canceled After Passenger Experiences Severe Gastrointestinal Distress

A United Airlines flight departing Indianapolis was canceled and required extensive cleaning after a passenger experienced a severe episode of diarrhea onboard. Meghan Reinertsen, the affected traveler, recounted her ordeal in a TikTok video that has garnered over 20 million views. She expressed remorse for the disruption caused to other passengers, acknowledging that the cancellation may have negatively impacted their travel plans.

Reinertsen, who works as a nanny and aspiring actress, was returning to the United States from Portugal after attending a film premiere when she began experiencing gastrointestinal distress. According to Reinertsen, the symptoms stemmed from food poisoning contracted after consuming an undercooked hamburger the previous evening. While typically non-fatal, food poisoning can induce debilitating symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

During the United Airlines flight, Reinertsen described experiencing intense discomfort and fearing an uncontrolled accident while the aircraft was taxiing. She sought assistance from a flight attendant after being unable to control her symptoms in the airplane lavatory, also experiencing vomiting alongside the diarrhea. The attendant subsequently informed her that the planned subsequent flight had been canceled due to the situation.

Following the incident, Reinertsen was transported off the plane on a wheelchair while hazmat specialists were deployed for comprehensive cleaning and sanitation of the aircraft. She also experienced further gastrointestinal issues in her hotel room later that evening. Reinertsen expressed surprise that the incident resulted in the flight’s cancellation and subsequent biohazard protocol activation, joking about being labeled a “biohazard” and “patient zero.”