A British holidaymaker has described being left 'scarred for life' after suffering horrific burns when scalding hot tea was spilled over her legs and inner thighs during a Ryanair flight. Susan Martin, a 69-year-old grandmother from Weymouth in Dorset, was travelling with her husband Billy, 63, from Bournemouth Airport to Malta for a week-long holiday when the incident occurred.
A Sudden and Painful Ordeal
Approximately twenty minutes into the three-hour flight last May, Susan claims the lid of her tea cup 'popped off', causing boiling water to tip all over her lap. She immediately began 'screaming' in agony as the scalding liquid soaked through her clothing. Disturbing photographs taken after the incident show extensive blistering on her lower stomach, upper thighs, and groin area from the severe burns.
Emergency Response On Board
For the remainder of the flight, Susan was moved to the crew area where she sat 'hyperventilating' while Ryanair staff applied gel packs and poured iced water on her injuries. She described being in shock and shaking uncontrollably as her skin began to blister almost immediately. The former receptionist had ordered the hot beverage through the airline's app since no drinks trolley was available on that particular service.
Susan believes this detail is crucial – because the tea was prepared using boiling water directly from a vessel at the back of the plane rather than from an insulated jug on a trolley, she contends the liquid was excessively hot. 'The water came straight out of the water vessel at the back of the plane,' she explained. 'If the water comes out of the insulated jug on the drinks trolley, the drinks are never that hot.'
Hospitalisation and Ongoing Treatment
Upon landing in Malta, Susan went directly to hospital where medical staff dressed her wounds. She returned to the burns unit the following day and spent the rest of her holiday receiving hospital treatment, including intravenous antibiotics and daily bandage changes. After returning to the UK, she required check-up and dressing appointments for six consecutive weeks.
Medical professionals diagnosed her with second-degree burns on her right upper thigh and lower abdomen, along with first-degree burns to the left thigh and genital area. Susan now applies cream daily to keep the scars moist and must keep the affected areas covered from sunlight permanently. 'I am scarred and I have to apply cream every day,' she revealed. 'I'm not allowed to go in the sun and for the rest of my life I have to keep it covered.'
Safety Concerns and Lack of Follow-Up
Notably, Susan observed that on her return flight, Ryanair crew using a drinks trolley explicitly warned passengers to be careful with cup lids – a precaution she says was absent during her outbound journey. She expressed concern that no holiday representative or airline staff checked on her during her hospital stay in Malta, and she has not received an apology from Ryanair since the incident.
The grandmother-of-ten is now urging other travellers to exercise extreme caution when handling hot beverages on flights and to ensure cup lids are securely fastened. 'I would hate anyone else to go through what I have been through,' she stated. 'I'm still paranoid about hot drinks. I do still have flashbacks and I think I always will. I have stopped drinking hot drinks since this has happened.'
Susan also highlighted the potential for even more catastrophic outcomes, particularly for vulnerable passengers. 'Can you imagine if that had been a young mother with a child or a baby on her lap,' she questioned. 'That would have been horrendous.' The Daily Mail has contacted Ryanair for comment regarding the incident and the safety protocols surrounding hot drink service on their flights.
