Winter weather can be unpredictable, especially for air travel.
Flights are sometimes forced to land far from their intended destinations, leaving passengers in unexpected situations.
This is exactly what happened to more than 250 people on a United Airlines flight from New York to Ireland.
They found themselves stranded on a freezing Canadian island for an entire weekend after their plane was diverted, reports Digi24.
United Flight 23 left Newark Liberty Airport on the evening of February 13, heading for Dublin.
A few hours into the flight, the plane changed course and made an emergency landing in St. John's, Newfoundland.
The airline later said a passenger had a medical emergency, requiring immediate attention.
Paramedics met the plane upon arrival, and the ill passenger was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Bad weather made the situation worse. Strong winds prevented the Boeing 777 from continuing its journey, forcing 259 passengers and 12 crew members to remain on the island.
The extreme cold added to the challenge. Among those stranded was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
Making the most of the situation, he presided over a church service at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. He later shared that a local parish took him in during the delay.
United Airlines said it provided hotels and meal vouchers for the passengers. However, due to the strong winds, checked luggage remained inaccessible.
One passenger took to social media, saying he spent 48 hours without his belongings in temperatures of -6°C.
He also mentioned that elderly travelers and children struggled without their luggage.
Some passengers claimed that the local airport staff helped more than United, as the airline had no personnel on site to assist them.
After days of waiting, the weather improved, and the flight was able to leave on Sunday morning. It finally landed in Dublin at 4:21 p.m.
This kind of diversion is not uncommon in Canada. Similar situations have happened before, such as in December 2023, when a Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was forced to land at Goose Bay Airport.
Those passengers had to sleep in military barracks for over 24 hours due to weather delays.
For those on United Flight 23, the weekend was an unexpected adventure filled with frustration, cold, and uncertainty.
Fortunately, everyone eventually made it to their destination, though not in the way they had planned.
