Scorpion Shows Up in an Unlikely Place — and Makes Its Presence Felt

LOS ANGELES (TheBlaze/AP) — A scorpion stung a woman on the hand just before her flight from Los Angeles to Portland took off.

Image source: YouTube

Alaska Airlines spokesman Cole Cosgrove says Flight 567 was taxing on the runway Saturday night when the passenger was stung. He says the plane returned to the gate and the woman was checked by medics. She refused additional medical treatment but didn't get back on the plane.

Members of Oregon State University's men's basketball team were on the flight, Cosgrove said. Tyson Alger, who covers the team for the Oregonian newspaper and was also aboard, actually live-tweeted the play by play:

So this is a new one "We've been pushed back to the gate because a passenger was bit by something poisonous" soooo can we all get off?

— Tyson Alger (@tysonalger) February 15, 2015

Scorpion is the bug de jour

— Tyson Alger (@tysonalger) February 15, 2015

I swear I just heard someone say "Don't worry Tinkle is taking care of it." So apparently the legend grows.

— Tyson Alger (@tysonalger)

February 15, 2015

The previous reference was to OSU coach Wayne Tinkle who later told ESPN that the woman was sitting two rows in front of him.

"The plane was coming from Mexico before us, and [the scorpion] was on the plane," Tinkle told ESPN. "The woman was a real champ. She acted like it was a mosquito bite. They got it off her but the needle was stuck."

Coach Tinkle was just two rows behind the woman that was stung. Paramedics have just come aboard. pic.twitter.com/BPWQjkoxVi

— Mike Parker (@MEPOSU) February 15, 2015

Then Alger posted this disheartening tidbit:

Guy saw scorpion on his shoulder flicked it off and it landed on lady and stung her. Chivalry is dead.

— Tyson Alger (@tysonalger) February 15, 2015

Meanwhile, flight attendants killed the scorpion and checked overhead compartments for any additional unwanted arachnids. The flight then took off at 8:40 p.m., about an hour late.

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