British tourist, 59, dies on flight to Chile sat next to his wife

25 February 2024 , 13:47

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A man died on a LATAM plane yesterday (Image: Long Visual Press/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

A 59-year-old man believed to be a British tourist has died on a flight from the Falkland Islands to Chile.

The holidaymaker and his wife were on a plane heading to the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas, operated by Chilean airline LATAM. He tragically died before the aircraft landed.

The victim and his partner were due to take a second flight to the country's capital, Santiago de Chile. Chilean police from a homicide unit met the plane when it arrived at Carlos Ibanez del Campo Airport. Diego Díaz, Deputy Commissioner of the specialist unit based in Punta Arenas, confirmed the man's death.

The aircraft was on the way to Punta Arenas in Chile when the man died (AFP via Getty Images)

He told local press: "On Saturday on the instructions of local prosecutors, detectives from the Punta Arenas Homicide Brigade went to Carlos Ibanez del Campo Airport after a British tourist aged 59 died inside a plane while it was travelling from the Falkland Islands to Punta Arenas before his connecting flight to Santiago." Confirming officers had discovered nothing to suggest his death had been the result of a crime, he added: "The man's wife was interviewed and said he had several underlying health issues."

A post-mortem due to take place today or tomorrow is expected to confirm he died of natural causes. The whereabouts of the unnamed man's wife today were not immediately clear. The Mirror has contacted LATAM for comment.

Red Arrow pilot forced to send out emergency alert after bird smashes into jet

In December, we reported that a British woman who was taken ill while travelling from Tenerife to Glasgow died. Pilots sent an emergency signal shortly after the TUI plane full of passengers took off from the Canary Islands. It was diverted to Madeira and landed around 20 minutes later.

In October, another holidaymaker tragically died whilst onboard a Jet2 plane, when they were heading back to the UK from Spain. Emergency services raced to the scene but were unable to save the man's life and he was pronounced dead onboard.

Chiara Fiorillo