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Stowaway Hid In Wheel Well Of Plane During Flight From Guatemala To Miami

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Kevin Harness Contributor
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A stowaway was discovered hiding in the wheel well of a plane after a nearly three-hour flight from Guatemala to Miami Saturday.

The 26-year-old man was found as American Airlines flight 1182 arrived at Miami International Airport where airport staff tried to help him and offered him water, the Miami Herald reported. (RELATED: Man Climbs Onto Airplane Wing. It Doesn’t End Well)

“Persons are taking extreme risks when they try to conceal themselves in confined spaces such as an aircraft,” Customs and Border Protection said, according to the Miami Herald. “This incident remains under investigation.”

The man hid in the wheel well of the American Airlines flight for 2 hours and 50 minutes, Miami-Dade Aviation Department Communications Director Greg Chin said, according to the outlet.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for medical care, Fox News reported.

“American Airlines flight 1182 with service from Guatemala (GUA) to Miami (MIA), arriving at 10:06 a.m. local time was met by law enforcement due to a security issue. We are working with law enforcement in their investigation,” American Airlines said, according to the Miami Herald.

The Miami-Dade Police Department are reportedly working with the CBP to investigate the situation.

In April, authorities found the dead body of a stowaway underneath a plane that flew from Nigeria to Amsterdam.

Since 1947, 129 people around the world have tried to “stow away in the wheel wells or other areas of commercial aircraft,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration, Fox News reported.