A LIMERICK FARMER prevented a major emergency on a flight last weekend when he tackled a troublesome passenger to the ground.

The Limerick Post reported that the man was returning from holidays on a flight from Hong Kong to Heathrow last weekend when an “agitated” passenger tried to break the seal on an emergency exit door.

“He was very troublesome and wouldn’t put on his seatbelt when the signs came on,” the 48-year-old told the newspaper. “I was sitting three rows behind him and just happened to be the nearest passenger to him. He looked like he was trying to open the emergency door and I managed to wrestle him to the floor and other passengers and staff helped me restrain him.”

He later had to restrain the man a second time with the help of two other passengers.

I didn’t get a chance to think about what happened. It was kind of like when you are watching an All-Ireland Final and you are on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. When you are in the thick of it, you don’t really think about it, but thankfully, all’s well that ends well.

The man did not wish to be named but local councillor Emmett O’Brien, who knows the Limerick hero, told TheJournal.ie that he is a well-liked person in Kilcornan and a bit of a cool character.

“He’s as easy in the field with the cows or drinking a pint in the pub as he is wrestling assailants on a plane over Hong Kong,” he said.

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