No-show passenger: 'It's a second chance at life'
Claudia Vásquez was meant to be on board doomed Germanwings flight 4U9525 but a twist of fate meant that she is alive today.
The name Claudia Vásquez is on the passenger list for Germanwings Flight 4U9525 and for several hours she was presumed to be among the 150 people who died when the plane crashed in the Alps on Tuesday.
But the 39-year-old was one of four passengers who did not turn up for check in, and was classed as a "no show", according to Catalan daily, La Vanguardía.
La segunda vida de los pasajeros que al final cambiaron de plan http://t.co/Cy9WcarzrU @iellakuria @gsaura #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/qD504cq1ol
— La Vanguardia (@LaVanguardia) March 26, 2015
"This morning I went for a walk on the beach and thought about all the people who had died," Vasquez told La Vanguardía over the telephone from Brazil.
"I just gave thanks for this second chance at life," she added.
Vasquez, who is married to an Englishman and has two children aged seven and two years old, lives in the Catalonian town of Castellgalí.
Born in Chile, she has Spanish nationality and owns her own marketing company specialized in the food industry.
Vasquez had booked a seat on the doomed flight, like several other passengers to attend the Anuga trade fair in Cologne.
"Life is full of little decisions," she said.
Vasquez was in Brazil on business and originally planned to come home in time to catch the flight to Dusseldorf, but at the last minute decided to stay on a few extra days in Brazil because she was tired after so many flights in such a short time.
Vasquez woke on Tuesday morning having completely forgotten about the flight she was due to take on the other side of the world. It was only when friends began frantically messaging her that she realized the crashed flight was the same she had planned to take to Dusseldorf.
"I want to send my support to the victims’ family members and also tell them that they should do everything their loved ones wanted to do in life," Vasquez said.
"We only have one life, one opportunity, so we have to make the most of every single minute."
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But the 39-year-old was one of four passengers who did not turn up for check in, and was classed as a "no show", according to Catalan daily, La Vanguardía.
La segunda vida de los pasajeros que al final cambiaron de plan http://t.co/Cy9WcarzrU @iellakuria @gsaura #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/qD504cq1ol
— La Vanguardia (@LaVanguardia) March 26, 2015
"This morning I went for a walk on the beach and thought about all the people who had died," Vasquez told La Vanguardía over the telephone from Brazil.
"I just gave thanks for this second chance at life," she added.
Vasquez, who is married to an Englishman and has two children aged seven and two years old, lives in the Catalonian town of Castellgalí.
Born in Chile, she has Spanish nationality and owns her own marketing company specialized in the food industry.
Vasquez had booked a seat on the doomed flight, like several other passengers to attend the Anuga trade fair in Cologne.
"Life is full of little decisions," she said.
Vasquez was in Brazil on business and originally planned to come home in time to catch the flight to Dusseldorf, but at the last minute decided to stay on a few extra days in Brazil because she was tired after so many flights in such a short time.
Vasquez woke on Tuesday morning having completely forgotten about the flight she was due to take on the other side of the world. It was only when friends began frantically messaging her that she realized the crashed flight was the same she had planned to take to Dusseldorf.
"I want to send my support to the victims’ family members and also tell them that they should do everything their loved ones wanted to do in life," Vasquez said.
"We only have one life, one opportunity, so we have to make the most of every single minute."
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