Captain delays flight to help passenger see his dying mother

Staff at United Airlines have pulled out all the stops to help one of their passengers see his dying mother.

When Kerry Drake got a phone call from a hospital telling him that his mother was dying in Texas, he booked the first flight he could from his home in San Francisco to go and see her.

Sitting on the aircraft, he started weeping when it was announced that the flight was delayed. It would mean missing his flight connection and that he would probably not reach his mother in time.

But thoughful United Airlines flight attendants noticed he was distraught and promised they would do everything they could to help.

They duly contacted the captain and explained the situation, and the captain then radioed Mr Drake's details to the crew of his connecting flight in Houston.

On receiving the message, the Lubbock flight crew onboard his connecting flight decided to hold up the plane until Mr Drake arrived.

Speaking to CNN, Mr Drake said that when he arrived in Houston, he started running to the gate and the flight attendant said: 'Mr Drake, we've been expecting you."

Mr Drake managed to get to the hospital just in time before his mother died. She had been suffering for years with rheumatoid arthritis.

He has since written to the airline thanking them for their efforts.

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