A young student diagnosed with Tourette’s became emotional after being prevented from boarding a British Airways flight due to exclaiming the word “bomb”.
Thirteen-year-old Mason Entwistle was considered a security concern, leading to him and his family being barred from their journey from London’s Gatwick airport to Alicante, Spain, on the weekend. Mason’s father, Martyn, recounted the distressing incident, mentioning Mason’s anguished question, “What is the point in my life?”
Martyn expressed, “Mason was in tears on the ground, expressing sincere apologies. He questioned his existence, feeling restricted from activities. The situation moved everyone to tears.”
Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that usually emerges in childhood, results in involuntary vocalizations and movements known as tics.
Hailing from Harwich in Essex, Martyn shared that Mason wore a sunflower disability lanyard during travel and had informed British Airways about his son’s condition days before the incident. The family, part of a group of 10 embarking on a £4,000 vacation, faced escalating tension as Mason grew increasingly anxious at the boarding gate.
“Throughout the security process, everything was fine,” Martyn reported to the Daily Mail. “However, at the gate, Mason’s tics intensified. Consequently, the duty manager escorted us to the jet bridge, where we were informed that the captain needed to address us.”
A video clip filmed by the 39-year-old father captures him disputing the decision with a British Airways manager as Mason cries in the background.
In the footage, the airline manager states, “We are refusing him due to a reported threat of a bomb in his bag. We are obliged to treat this matter with utmost seriousness.”
Martyn recalled, “After enduring 40 minutes of waiting in sweltering conditions, three armed officers arrived, informing us that we would not be allowed to fly.
“There was no support or aid offered to Mason as we were escorted back into the airport. The presence of armed officers can be intimidating for an adult, let alone for a distressed child. It was evident that