North Carolina woman named as person who died entangled in Chicago O'Hare Airport conveyor belt

A woman who died after becoming entangled in an airport baggage carousel has been identified by police.

Authorities have confirmed that the woman found dead and entangled in baggage machinery at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport hailed from North Carolina. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased as 57-year-old Virginia Christine Vinton of Waxhaw, North Carolina, with an autopsy scheduled for Friday.

Firefighters responding to a 911 call discovered Ms Vinton's body caught in the conveyor belt around 7.45am on Thursday in a baggage room near an international terminal. Surveillance footage reveals Ms Vinton entering the area around 2.27am on Thursday, but it doesn't capture what transpired afterward. It means she was undiscovered for five hours until firefighters found her just before 8am.

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The section of the international terminal is filled with conveyor belts that bring luggage to and from planes. Bags in this area also go through customs. Fire crews turned the scene over to police investigators. The room where her body was found is not accessible to the public, and it remains unclear why she was there. A US Department of Labor spokesman confirmed that she was not an airport employee. Police declined to comment further on the matter.

O'Hare International Airport, established in 1944 near Chicago's Rosemont area, hosts all major airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. As of August 2024, the airport operates approximately 964 daily direct flights to 171 US cities and about 129 daily direct flights to 65 international destinations, according to Fly Chicago.

Travelers looking for adventure can jet off to international hot spots across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. In a recent development, January 2023 saw the unveiling of a new extension to Terminal 5 at O'Hare International Airport, originally constructed in 1993, as part of the ambitious O'Hare 21 project. The construction kicked off in 2019, marking significant strides in a $1.3 billion investment aimed at expanding and modernizing the bustling airport's facilities.

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In a tragic incident last month, passengers on a Virgin Australia flight were left in shock when a woman suddenly collapsed mid-flight. The distressing event occurred around 9:30 am on a Monday, prompting the flight crew to administer CPR as the aircraft was expedited for a priority landing at Tullamarine Airport in Victoria, Australia, by 10:15 am.

Despite emergency services' swift response on the tarmac, the woman sadly did not survive. A spokesperson for Virgin Australia conveyed the somber news to the Mirror, stating: "The passenger was taken off the aircraft but unfortunately later passed away."