No hospital records for 'comatose' airline passenger

Tui Peter Russell

Doubts have emerged about the coma a diabetic said he suffered on a flight from Auckland to Christchurch.

Qantas issued an apology to Peter Russell who says he was not allowed to take his insulin on board a flight on September 18.

Mr Russell claimed he had been admitted to hospital and had slipped into a coma but Herald inquiries yesterday failed to confirm he had been a patient at Christchurch Hospital. A spokeswoman at the hospital said there were no admission records showing Mr Russell was there during the period he had stated.

She said hospital pharmacy records also showed no sign of Mr Russell receiving any medication.

Qantas said the airline was still in talks with Mr Russell but would not comment on the extent of their inquiries into the alleged incident.

The story of Mr Russell's in-flight drama is also doubted by diabetes expert, Professor Jim Mann.

"It's absolutely bizarre and it doesn't sound likely at all," he said.

Professor Mann said diabetics taking insulin could go into two types of coma. In this case the man could have suffered a hypoglycaemic coma caused by low glucose. Another possibility was if Mr Russell took his insulin and then did not eat.

"But it doesn't fit with the first half of the story which says it's because he didn't have his insulin, so what kind of coma then could you have from not having insulin?

"Well you can have a coma from that too but it's a different kind of coma which doesn't come on very quickly - certainly you wouldn't expect it between Auckland and Christchurch."

Mr Russell did not return calls yesterday.