Ottawa-area man reunited with wheelchair four days after Sunwing flight home
An Ottawa-area man has been reunited with his wheelchair after it was lost for four days following a flight home on Sunwing Airlines.
Cory Beausoleil says his wheelchair never showed up at the Ottawa International Airport after his family’s direct flight home from Cancun on Saturday.
After waiting more than hour after arriving, Beausoleil’s mother asked an airport staff member they were still looking for the wheelchair, and was told the wheelchair wasn’t anywhere in the airport.
"We waited with everybody else to get our luggage, and they basically told me that my wheelchair didn't make it on the plane," Beausoleil said.
Four days later, on Tuesday, a staff member from the Ottawa Airport called him to let him know the wheelchair had arrived and would be delivered to his home.
"I have been without a chair for four days, unable to do grocery shopping, or go outside with my dog, do regular normal activity," he said. "It's not like lost luggage; it's a part of who I am. It's a part of me having full independence."
Beausoleil lives with cerebral palsy and relies on a wheelchair. He has travelled often with his wheelchair and has never had any issues until now.
He says he got no details or communication from Sunwing over the past few days. The family filed multiple lost luggage reports and left several voicemails.
"At least give us an update as to what is going on, who is helping," he said. "It has all been radio silence; to me the communication has been zero."
Since coming home, Beausoleil has had to use a walker, but his mobility is limited and it is difficult to get around. The family took to social media, posting about the lost wheelchair. The post has been reshared more than 900 times.
He said a chair like his costs more than $2,000.
"I haven’t been able to do the activity I would normally be doing," he says. "I need to keep my life on track so for that reason I probably would have just bought a new chair."
Relieved the wheelchair is back, Beausoleil says he wanted to share his experience in hopes to make the airline accountable, and to make sure it doesn’t happen again to anyone else.
"It was about pressure. Some people are stuck with a wheelchair being their only mode of transportation. For me, I can use my walker or crutches, but some people, it’s their only mode of transportation, and even 24 hours would be a lot, so four days is unacceptable. I am happy it is resolved, but it took too much time."
"Hopefully this platform can help shine light on this situation and help other people."
In a statement to CTV News earlier on Tuesday, Sunwing said: "We can confirm a baggage claim was made by the family on Sunday, January 29, regarding a missing wheelchair following their northbound travels from Cancun to Ottawa. We are pleased to confirm the customer's wheelchair has since been located by our airline staff and is being delivered to the family today. We apologize to the family for the inconvenience and look forward to reuniting them with their wheelchair, and hope they choose to travel with us again in future."
- with files from Shaun Vardon, CTV News Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.