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An elderly woman with lung disease claims she was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight over a face mask dispute.
Judy Ferguson, 75, who has been reportedly diagnosed with lung fibrosis, wore an N95 mask and visor while boarding the flight from Fairbanks to Seattle and changed into a respirator helmet, she told Fairbanks-based radio station KUAC.
An elderly woman was reportedly taken off an Alaska airline flight over a face mask dispute.
Ferguson said she was traveling to see a doctor for treatment and claims she was told by an Alaska Airlines employee to remove her respirator helmet.
“The agent told me to take off my respirator helmet," Ferguson told KUAC.
"I told him I’m 75, I have lung fibrosis, which is terminal. I’m going to critical appointments in Seattle, at University of Washington Medical Center. And I will not remove my ventilator helmet," Ferguson added.
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Ferguson said she explained to a gate agent that her respirator helmet was safe. However, the agent reportedly called a supervisor.
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"The lead gate agent came and she said 'I will not talk to you on this airplane. You have to get off the airplane and talk to me.' So she said six times 'Get off the plane. That’s the only way that I will talk to you.' And she never did talk to me," Ferguson said.
Ferguson, who eventually removed her helmet, said she tried to explain that the N95 mask she was wearing with the helmet was compliant with Alaska Airline’s policy. Instead, she was reportedly taken off the flight and escorted to a ticket counter to rebook another flight but she reportedly refused and left the airport, according to KUAC.
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A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines did not immediately return a Fox News request for comment.
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