An airport baggage handler died after she was scalped in a horrific workplace accident after her hair got caught in a conveyor belt.
Jermani Thompson, 26, had been working at New Orleans Airport when her hair tangled in the transporter on August 30 while she unloaded a Frontier plane that had just landed there.
Jermani Thompson was working as a baggage handler at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and was unloading luggage from a Frontier Airlines plane when the accident happened.
Reports say she was injured on the ‘apron’, an area where planes are parked, loaded and refuelled with machinery.
It was around 10pm on Tuesday (30 August) when Jermani was on shift and unloading a plane when she caught her hair in the conveyor belt of a machine that is used for getting bags on and off planes.
Jermani was rushed to the hospital, but sadly died soon after. A spokesperson for GAT Airline Ground Support, who Jermani was employed by, says, “We are heartbroken and are supporting her family and friends as best as we are able.”
Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport says, “We are deeply saddened about the tragic loss of GAT Airline Ground Support team member, Jermani Thompson. Jermani was a part of our Airport family, and we will continue to support one another in any way we can during this trying time.”
Jermani’s mum, Angela Dorsey has also spoken out on the loss of her daughter. She said Jermani was a graduate of Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and a passionate basketball player. She told New Orleans website NOLA, “She was my baby girl. Everybody loved her. I’m just lost for words. I can’t even think.”
Jermani former basketball coach Jessica Barber paid a touching tribute to her on Facebook.
She wrote, “This morning I was interviewed about a former player for a potential job. At lunch, I learned about the passing of one of my former players – the highest of highs and lowest of lows as a coach.
“In this life, there are no guarantees,” she continues. “You can choose the right path and still, death can call your number sooner than expected. My heart is shattered – for her family, for her friends, for her co-workers and for this world. Jerm was a good one.”
