BUS ÉIREANN IS investigating an incident where a customer said she got trapped in a luggage hold door.

The customer, who does not live in Dublin, told TheJournal.ie that she was disembarking an intercity bus from another part of the country at 3.35pm on Friday on Waterford’s Parnell St when she went to get her luggage from the baggage hold.

“I leaned in to pull my luggage and before I knew what was happening the door of the baggage hold was coming down on me, there was no indication to alert me,” she said.

“At this moment so many thoughts were rushing through my mind, I turned to escape as the door of the baggage hold trapped me and pressed on my abdomen also proceeding down towards legs and closing in on top of my head. I screamed frantically as I thought this was it, I realised it was going to close in on top my head and I needed somebody to hear me before this situation got worse. I heard the engine of the bus start up and I thought this possibly couldn’t be happening as I screamed frantically for anyone to hear me or to see me.”

She said a passerby walking up the street saw her. “She ran to the side door of the coach then banged noisily on the glass, waving her hands frantically trying to get the driver’s attention. The engine was turned off and the door of the baggage hold was lifted back up.”

The woman said she was left dazed and in shock after what happened, and informed the driver that the door had closed on her.

The woman reported the incident to Bus Éireann, the gardaí and also attended the hospital. She was discharged from with minor internal bruises, tenderness on her abdomen and bruising to her throat.

The woman said she wants to thank the stranger who helped her, saying she was “very grateful” to her: “…please wherever you may be, my heart truly goes out to you, full of gratitude.”

A statement from Bus Éireann said:

We are aware of the incident that took place [on Friday]. We are currently investigating the matter and will be following up with the customer in the next few days.

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