Man stung by scorpion on passenger plane

An airline passenger man got a surprise — and some pain — when he was stung by a scorpion during a flight from Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska.

Jeff Ellis, who lives in Oregon, tells KPTV he was trying to sleep on an overnight Alaska Airlines flight June 17 when he felt something in his sleeve and tried to brush it away.

He says he felt the crawling again, looked down and saw the culprit. "I picked my hand up and said, 'Oh, my God. That's a scorpion.'"

Ellis says he grabbed the scorpion with a napkin, but not before it stung him on the elbow. He says it caused a burning sensation.

Ellis was checked by two doctors on board and medics on the ground.

The flight originated from Austin, Texas, where Alaska Airlines officials believe the scorpion got on board. Ellis says the airline offered him some frequent-flier miles and two round-trip tickets.

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