Real-Life Heroes: Jasper Shuringa, the "Flying Hero Dutchman"

Jmaurone's picture
Submitted by Jmaurone on Mon, 2009-12-28 20:18

You've most likely heard, by now, about the Christmas day terrorist attempt to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, another demonstration of the truth of Islam. Fortunately, we got a demonstration of true heroism as well. Meet Jasper Schuringa.

(Originally published at Superhero Babylon)

You've most likely heard, by now, about the Christmas day terror attempt to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, another demonstration of the truth of Islam. Fortunately, we got a demonstration of true heroism as well. From the Washington Post: "Fear and heroism aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 after attempted bombing." And our hero of the day is Jasper Schuringa, the "Flying Hero Dutchman." He's an American hero, a designation that goes beyond race, creed, color. May more so-callled "Americans" be as brave.

From the Washington Post:
Jasper Schuringa, an Amsterdam resident, lunged toward the fire in Row 19, jumping from one side of the plane to the other and over several other passengers. He burned his fingers as he grabbed a piece of melting plastic held by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused Saturday of trying to bring down the passenger jet with a homemade explosive device.

Schuringa, a video producer, restrained Abdulmutallab as others used blankets and fire extinguishers to douse the flames.

"When I saw the suspect, that he was getting on fire, I freaked, of course, and without any hesitation I just jumped over all the seats," Schuringa told CNN on Saturday. "And I jumped to the suspect. I was thinking like, he's trying to blow up the plane."

Another passenger, Veena Saigal said Schuringa "was holding him from the back, with a strong grip."

"When he went back to his seat, we all clapped," Saigal said of Schuringa.

"I am grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results," Napolitano said in a statement Saturday.

This man deserves a hero's welcome, and a few minutes of your time to listen to his story.


My link is now on You Tube

Sandi's picture
Submitted by Sandi on Fri, 2010-01-01 01:23.

Jack Blood Interviews Kurt Haskell December 30 2009 Part One

Hero? I am not so sure?

Sandi's picture
Submitted by Sandi on Thu, 2009-12-31 04:23.

Jack Blood from Free Domain Radio, today interviewed lawyer "Kurt Haskell" who was onboard the same flight.

Jack has raised a few good questions about Jasper Schuring's behaviour during CNN's interview.

If you listen in to the radio archive you might be as curious as myself, with regards to why is Jasper selling photographs of the attack, because according to Kurt Haskell, the FBI absolutely demanded that passengers hand over all photographs.

Holland's counter-terrorism agency claims that "The suspected terrorist who tried to blow up Northwest Flight 253 Christmas day did present a passport to authorities in Amsterdam before boarding the Detroit-bound plane", yet Kurt Haskell was sitting directly beside the gate check in and claims that the suspect did not have a passport (another man was with the suspect who told the check-in girl that the suspect was from Sudan and didn't need one).

Somethings just don't add up here.

Here is today's archive 30th Dec 09

Our hero ...

Lindsay Perigo's picture
Submitted by Lindsay Perigo on Mon, 2009-12-28 22:12.

... was probably getting peeved as the questions got more banal and unintelligible. Like so many "interviewers," that dumb bitch can't seem to confine herself to asking questions—she has to posit answers as well. All exacerbated by the fact that English is his second language and she doesn't speak it at all.

The other heroes

Jmaurone's picture
Submitted by Jmaurone on Mon, 2009-12-28 21:53.

He does credit other people on the flight, like the flight attendants, for their help, and calls them heroes as well, so I'll do the same now. Smiling

R&R

Jmaurone's picture
Submitted by Jmaurone on Mon, 2009-12-28 22:14.

I can't speak for him, but he's probably done dozens of interviews, in addition to being in pain from the burns...guy probably needs a good long rest! I thought he was gracious enough to continue answering questions even after he tried to signal that he was done. I'm certainly not going to pick at it, this is something that happened to him, he didn't ask for it. It's got to be hard to constantly talk about, and he probably wants to get on with his holiday.

He's certainly earned it, this Christmas.

Interesting

Kasper's picture
Submitted by Kasper on Mon, 2009-12-28 21:42.

He was becoming increasingly aggrivated by the questions. Did he interpret them as interrogation? Or did he get disgruntled by the American hysteria?

Active Man versus Passive Man

Jmaurone's picture
Submitted by Jmaurone on Mon, 2009-12-28 21:21.

Just another thought about this...considering the news about new regulations requiring passengers to remain seated during the last hour of a flight, with no access to overhead luggage or anything in their lap: all the government's regulations require passivity of citizens in the name of protection, but heroic actions require, well...action in the name of defense.

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