Family Forgets 18-Month-Old At Airport

Amy S.F. Lutz — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:30:00 GMT

There's a reason why flight attendants always remind passengers to make sure they have all their belongings before disembarking: people are forgetful, and easily distractible. So forgetful that maybe those stewardesses should start reminding them to make sure they have everything before they get back ON the plane. You know, layovers can be so chaotic, with everyone rushing around to eat, maybe make some phone calls, use the restroom, that it's easy to lose track of important things like your passport, your visa . . . and your children?

That's what happened to a Filipino family yesterday. The family was emigrating to Winnipeg, and got off the plane during a layover in Vancouver. The boy's parents and grandparents weren't sitting together on the plane, and when they boarded again, each pair assumed the toddler was with the other pair.

And basically, they didn't realize they left their kid wandering around the Vancouver airport until airline employees found the boy - who, because he was a lap child, had no boarding pass or other identification - and cleverly used passenger manifests to figure out who he must be, and contacted the pilot.

Once the plane landed, the father immediately flew back to Vancouver to get the boy.

What's Filipino for "oops"?

Strollerderby : Filipino family

Family Forgets 18-Month-Old At Airport