Jack Hanna Stuck in Airport Turnstile with Flamingo

Filed in archive Fun Stuff on September 18, 2007

On a lighter note, Jack Hanna and a Flamingo (yes, you read that correctly) were trapped in a airport turnstile. Hanna attempted to squeeze the square crate carrying the flamingo through a round turnstile. According to a MSNBC article, it took 3 firefighters a few hours to release the animal.

Hanna, 60, pushed the flamingo's 2-foot-by-3-foot compartment into the turnstile, then continued pushing while straddling the crate.

"I was stuck like a worm. My eyes were as big as grapefruits," he said. "I can't describe the feeling in my stomach. I can't move up or down. The bars are on your face."

Hanna said he eventually squirmed free, leaving the flamingo still wedged inside and everyone else trapped on the tarmac. He then walked to a nearby fire station for help. It took three firefighters to hoist the flamingo's crate up and out of the turnstile, he said.

Columbus fire department logs show the firefighters arrived at the airport at 12:30 a.m. for a "flamingo rescue," spokeswoman Kelly McGuire said.

Hanna joked that the next time he flies through the airport, the biggest animal he will bring is a gerbil.