An Australian TV personality sprung into action after spotting a reptile in a location that Samuel L. Jackson would not have been thrilled about.
On Thursday, Nov. 21, Virgin Airlines flight VA1482 in Australia was delayed 20 minutes after passengers spotted a wild snake on board, per Australia’s ABC. The flight from Broome to Perth was set to leave at 10:30 a.m. local time but was pushed back after someone allegedly yelled that a snake was on board ahead of takeoff, passenger Andre Rerekura told the outlet.
Luckily for those on the flight, Rerekura wasn’t just any passenger—he’s also featured in Disney+’s mini-series Shipwreck Hunters Australia, and he told ABC that he thought the Stimson’s python that ended up on the plane was “cute.” The series itself follows divers, filmmakers, and archaeologists as they explore “shipwreck secrets” in Western Australia, per a synopsis, with Rerekura serving as a water cinematographer.
While removing the snake from the plane didn’t require diving, Rerekura still took on the wildlife challenge.
“They pretty much shut the whole plane down, and everyone was going to get disembarked and sent off the plane, which we weren’t that keen for because everyone wanted to go home,” Rerekura told ABC. “It was a little bit of a weird story to think it was true, to hear that there was a snake on the plane, so I don’t think a lot of people believed it.”
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After a woman behind Rerekura screamed — and as the Disney star saw the snake slither by his foot— he grabbed the reptile, took it off the aircraft, and was met with applause from those around him when he returned after releasing it.
Footage shared to Rerekura’s Instagram Story shows him waving a fist in the air as passengers cheer and as a flight attendant says over the plane’s intercom that “there is never a dull moment in aviation.”
“I think everyone was relieved that they didn’t have to get off the plane, and then a lot of people were happy that the snake was safe,” he told ABC. “The staff were awesome. They gave me a complimentary drink, I had a soda water.”
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A spokesperson for Virgin Australia Airlines confirmed to PEOPLE that a non-venomous snake was found and removed from the plane’s cabin. Following the snake’s removal, the flight continued on as planned.
Broome International Airport chief executive Craig Shaw told ABC he was “uncertain how the reptile came to be” on board. “Our staff assisted in the removal of the reptile, and there was minimal disruption to the service,” he said.
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This Australian flight was far from the first time somebody found a snake on a plane. In 2023, a pilot in South Africa made an emergency landing after a venomous Cape cobra appeared in his cockpit. In April 2024, a passenger at Miami International Airport attempted to sneak a bag of snakes, which he hid in his pants, on a flight before the snakes were turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As for the type of snake spotted on Rerekura’s flight, a Stimson’s python “inhabits the largest range of any other Australian python species,” per the Australian Museum. It is also a “popular species to be kept in captivity,” with its bites often being “food-related” rather than “aggressive.”
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