A CIRCUIT CIVIL Court judge today approved a €15,000 settlement offer for a 13-year-old Cork schoolgirl who was injured when a Ryanair plane suddenly depressurised on its way to Croatia.

Barrister James Daly told the court that as a result of a sudden depressurisation of the passenger cabin, oxygen masks were deployed and Gabriela Gaspar, who was only seven at the time, had become very distressed and frightened.

“The aircraft began to heavily shake and to rapidly descend and the cabin was dark and became very cold,” Daly, who appeared with Alva Nolan of Gary Matthews Solicitors, said.

He said that when Gabriela’s mother, Monika, fitted an oxygen mask to her daughter’s face she became distressed and continually tried to remove the mask. She became pale and tearful.

“The aircraft continued to descend rapidly and made an extremely violent emergency landing in Frankfurt, Germany,” Daly said.

“Medical professionals boarded the aircraft to administer first aid as passengers, distressed and bleeding from their ears and noses, were directed to remain in their seats,” he added.

Judge Mary Morrissey heard that Gabriela, whose family live on Skehard Road in Cork, had to wait with other passengers for 11 hours for another aircraft to take them on their onward journey to Zadar airport in Croatia.

“Gabriela became terrified when reboarding the second aircraft and was kicking and screaming while her mother brought her on board,” Daly said.

The court heard that in the weeks following the incident, Gabriela continued to suffer nosebleeds, headaches and nightmares. Eighteen months after the incident, she suffered ongoing nightmares and regularly woke up screaming.

Daly said Gabriela was particularly vulnerable in that she suffered from asthma and took an attack when her oxygen mask was being applied by her mother.

Judge Morrissey approved the settlement offer and said Gabriela had suffered a very frightening experience.