Seriously-injured wife of Singapore Airlines victim has been told he died when Boeing 777 hit turbulence at 37,000 feet

The seriously injured wife of plane passenger Geoff Kitchen has been told he died when their aircraft hit turbulence at 37,000ft.

Mother-of-two Linda Kitchen suffered serious spinal injuries when the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 suddenly dropped 6,000ft.

Her husband Geoff, 73, a retired insurance worker, is believed to have suffered a heart attack and died in the seat next to her.

The plane diverted to Bangkok where critically injured Mrs Kitchen was taken off along with up to 70 injured passengers and crew.

She is in intensive care and was told this morning that her husband of almost 50 years had died in the tragedy. 

Grandmother Mrs Kitchen was able to speak to her son Stuart on the phone from her hospital bed this morning.

A family friend said: 'She was woozy with painkillers and she's going for a second scan.

'She has spinal and shoulder injuries - I think she was unconscious when they got her off the plane.

'The tragic news was broken to her this morning. They were such a devoted couple, you can't imagine what it must be like for her.'

The 'adventurous' couple were on their way to a six-week holiday of a lifetime taking in Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia before heading to Australia.

Injured passengers were given numbers on their stretchers when they came off the plane because their names weren't known.

Geoff and Linda's family in the UK were unable to get information until the Thai authorities brought in translators to help worried family members of those caught up in the plane drama.

The couple's children Stuart and Anna Proctor have remained in the UK but the close friend said there were plans for them to fly to Bangkok.

Heartbroken daughter Anna earlier today posted on Facebook: 'Love you Dad x.'

The aircraft hat hit an air pocket and plummeted an astonishing 6,000ft in just five minutes, with the sudden drop unleashing mayhem onboard and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport.

It has been revealed that grandfather Mr Kitchen had helped fundraise for local businesses during the pandemic with a local musical theatre group.

He and his wife spent the weekend with their grandchildren saying goodbye before jetting off for their planned holiday.

A friend of the couple told the BBC this morning they 'loved to travel' and were 'very excited' for the trip, which would see them embark on a cruise in Indonesia before travelling to Australia.

Lizzie Atkins also described him as 'the most wonderful human being that you could ever know'.

Ms Atkins, a fellow member of Bristol-based Thornbury musical theatre group, said: 'He would do anything for you. He was just amazing.'

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'He was just a remarkable man, really.

'He was stable and reliable, and you always knew you were in safe hands with Geoff.

'He had a really dry sense of humour and had a twinkle in his eye and every time you saw him you just knew that he was going to make a funny joke.'

She added: 'He was the most wonderful human being that you could ever know, one of the top ones.'

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said it was supporting Mr Kitchen's family and was in contact with local authorities.

Neighbours yesterday told MailOnline that he had suffered heart problems in recent years and had stents put in to widen his arteries.

Close friend Steve Dimond, 73, who lives a few doors down from Mr Kitchen's three-bed home in leafy Thornbury, said: 'You wouldn't know it, he carried on as normal and was very fit and active.

'He was very involved with amateur dramatics and was helping me make scenery for our new production.

'He was a good singer, a fine actor, he was on the committee, he loved musical theatre.

'He and his wife like live music, all sorts, folk jazz, everything. He's known his wife since they were teenagers, they are a lovely couple. It's a terrible shock, he was a really nice bloke.'

He added: 'They were very adventurous and had been planning the holiday for a long time.

'They spent last weekend with their grandchildren because they wouldn't be seeing them for a while.'

Fellow members of the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group were left devastated by the news.

One member, Steve Young, said: 'Total shock. Geoff was a tremendous chap who had time for everyone. He never failed to make me laugh.'

Peter Wiggins added: 'Such a lovely man, very talented and great fun to work with. I'll never forget his Fagin in Oliver, superb.'

Nigel Newman said: 'A real shock, so sad. In my time with the group Geoff was always a great go-to guy, and as others have said, a man with kindness and humour, and an insightfulness I always appreciated. My wishes and thoughts go to all those close to him.'

Passengers on the fateful flight told how they and flight crew desperately tried to save Mr Kitchen's life by delivering CPR, as well as tending to other injured passengers.

In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday evening, Thornbury Musical Theatre Group in Bristol said: 'It is with a heavy heart that we learn of the devastating news of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend Geoff Kitchen in the recent Singapore Air Incident.

'Geoff was always a gentleman with the utmost honesty and integrity and always did what was right for the group.

'His commitment to TMTG was unquestionable and he has served the group and the local community of Thornbury for over 35 years, holding various offices within the group, including Chairman, Treasurer and most recently Secretary.

'Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and the family at this difficult time, and we ask that you respect their privacy.'

A video posted online in 2020 showed how Mr Kitchen led the group in a rendition of You Will Be Found from musical Dear Evan Hansen, as a way to 'say thank you to the people and businesses of Thornbury for everything you have done'.

The poignant message added: 'To our friends, family, audiences, local businesses, the Armstrong Hall which has given us a home for almost 50 years and everybody else in our local community, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.'

The 16-year-old Boeing 777 had left Heathrow at 10.17pm on Monday and was diverted to Bangkok, landing at 3.45pm local time (9.45am BST) on Tuesday.

There were 211 passengers and 18 crew on board - including 47 passengers from the UK and four Irish nationals.

Singapore Airlines said: 'Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, operating from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 20, encountered severe turbulence en route.

'We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board.

'Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.'

Terrified passengers have described how they had little to no warning to put their seatbelts on before the aircraft suddenly dropped while the crew were serving breakfast, with one passenger saying people were 'launched into the ceiling' as the plane fell through the sky.

Others described how those not wearing seatbelts at the time were launched into the air, sustaining head injuries, while others were seen with bleeding ears.

Pictures from the flight show debris littering the plane, oxygen masks deployed and damage to interior fittings.

One traveller on board Flight SQ321 to Singapore said the plane suffered a 'dramatic drop', meaning people not wearing a seatbelt were 'launched immediately into the ceiling'.

Another passenger, Jerry, who was travelling to his son's wedding, told the BBC the day was 'the worst of my life'.

Speaking with a bandage covering part of his head, he said: 'Things were going very smoothly at first. I'd just been to the loo, came back, sat down, bit of turbulence, and suddenly the plane plunged.

'I don't know how far, but it was a long way. (It was) so sudden, there was no warning at all, and I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, my wife did.

'Some poor people walking around ended up doing somersaults. It was absolutely terrible, and then suddenly it stopped and it was calm again, and the staff did their best to tend to the injured people.

'There were a lot of them and some of the staff are injured themselves, so they did a sterling job.'