The Alabama Crimson Tide had a scary moment
The Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics team is safely in Seattle as they prepare for the Regional round of the NCAA Gymnastics Championship. As the overall five seed, Alabama will face off against Michigan State, BYU and Washington in the second round. However, the Tide struggled to make it to Denver.
The Alabama Crimson Tide were on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Seattle. Less than two hours into the flight, the cabin lost pressure. The lights went off, and the emergency airbags dropped from the ceiling for passengers to use.
Within seven minutes, the plane dropped 18000 feet in altitude over seven minutes, which is around 43 feet per second.
The flight then took an emergency landing in Denver. They stayed in the Denver airport for six hours while things were settled.
At around 1 in the morning, the team made it back on a plane and flew to Seattle. The entire day of traveling took 17 hours for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but they made it to their destination.
This was not a private flight, so passengers unaffiliated with the Tide were also on board. According to local reporting, a few passengers were treated for lightheadedness and shortness of breath, but there were no serious injuries. The reporting did not specify if any members of the Alabama Crimson Tide were treated, but the team did not make a statement detailing the incident, implying that all members of the Tide were fine.
After this scary scene, the Tide need to rest up and focus on the Thursday meet. The two teams with the best scores will advance. While Alabama has the highest average score among all teams they face in the second round, they will also compete in a hostile environment. Washington is the host, and they paired with Alabama.
Either way, what matters is that the Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics team remains safe and sound.