World
Updated : Mar 11, 2014, 09:28 AM IST
Hours before Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was scheduled to depart on Saturday, a US woman tweeted to her co-worker who was on a business trip that she was feeling ill and overworked.
He agreed to pick up the slack and missed his Kuala Lumpur-to-Beijing flight, which then vanished and is presumed to have crashed with 239 people aboard.
The anguish and relief played out live on Twitter.
Reuters could not independently confirm whether the man, who goes by the Twitter name @KaidenDL, was indeed booked on the flight.
Cylithria Dubois, in an emailed response to Reuters, said Kaiden was her "love and business partner".
"I am deeply chagrined by the attention that Kaiden and I drew upon ourselves with our tweets," Dubois wrote in the email. "At a time when the focus should be upon those aboard the ill-fated flight and their loved ones, I feel rather dumb speaking at all."
She also put out a public statement on her blog, saying, "Kaiden is my best friend, my buddy, my guy. He’s man I love with all of my heart, even if I didn’t realise it in full, before this. The moment I feared he was gone from earth was excruciating. There are no words to convey the overwhelming relief or gratitude that flooded me when I saw his tweets to me."
"If I had one thing to say to anyone enduring through the loss of Flight MH370 it would be I am so very sorry. I am sorry for your pains, your troubles, your sorrows, and fears," she added.
How it happened:
Dubois, whose Twitter handle is @cylithria, sent out a series of anguished messages on Saturday about the missing plane and how she couldn't contact Kaiden.
OMG....... OMG.... @AFP: BREAKING: Malaysia Airlines says it 'has lost contact' with plane carrying 239 people
— Cylithria Dubois (@Cylithria) March 8, 2014
Omfg @KaidenDL please tell me uyo missed your flight to bejiing.... Dude... Where are you... @thisnamesuckz where is my kaid
— Cylithria Dubois (@Cylithria) March 8, 2014
Im sick, fevering and just freaking. Stopit ria. Breathe.
— Cylithria Dubois (@Cylithria) March 8, 2014
About 90 minutes later, he replied.
@Cylithria I am so sorry. Get off your phone, I can't call through sweetheart. I love you. I'm so sorry.
— Kaiden IV (@KaidenDL) March 8, 2014
@Cylithria lighting up your notifications babydoll. I am ok. Missed our flight. I am safe Ria. Email, text, tweet so I know you see this
— Kaiden IV (@KaidenDL) March 8, 2014
And then:
Hheard his voice. So unnspeakably grateful. Shaken. praying soooo much for flight mh370..... Ohplease universe... Have mercy, please.
— Cylithria Dubois (@Cylithria) March 8, 2014
Kaiden did not respond to requests for comment.In his Twitter postings, he said he was angry at his girlfriend because "she'd gotten sick and I had to cover her. I was working on that, missed my flight to China. Grew angrier. "But for the grace of God we'd be on that flight. Damn my ego. Instead of updating her, the office, I stewed," he wrote.
I was very angry at Ria, because she'd gotten sick and I had to cover her. I was working on that, missed my flight to China. Grew angrier.
— Kaiden IV (@KaidenDL) March 8, 2014
Now Rory and I shake. But for the Grace of God we'd be on that flight. Damn my ego. Instead of updating her, the office, I stewed.
— Kaiden IV (@KaidenDL) March 8, 2014
Thank you God. Help me to learn, then live the lessons you need me to. Amen
— Kaiden IV (@KaidenDL) March 8, 2014
(With agency inputs)