(CNN) – Dutch authorities have discovered a person hiding in the front wheel of a cargo plane as it landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Sunday morning.
A spokesman for Schiphol Airport and police said the man had been in hiding for more than 11 hours since the plane left Johannesburg, South Africa. Although the person has not been identified, authorities said he is believed to be between 16 and 35 years old.
“We learned that someone has been found moving from On a cargo plane Schiphol Airport spokeswoman Willemica Koster told CNN that the Royal Dutch Military Police are handling the situation.
Airport staff initially detected something that looked like a person and immediately alerted the authorities. On arrival at the scene, Dutch police and emergency services confirmed that the man was still alive but with a hypothermia, said Royal Dutch Military Police spokeswoman Joan Helmonds.
“We were surprised to find this guy, but we So he was alive After the plane flew more than 10,000 [kilómetros] with cold temperaturesRoyal Military Police spokeswoman Joanne Helmonds told CNN.
Helmonds added that the man was resuscitated and stabilized at the airport, and then taken to a hospital in Amsterdam.
“When the man recovers and is released from hospital, he will then be treated at the Asylum Seeker Center (AZC), where his status will be determined if he is truly seeking asylum,” Helmonds said.
The flight time between Johannesburg and Amsterdam is about 11 hours on average, and if the flight stops in Kenya, the trip will take several hours, according to the Royal Dutch Military Police. Cargolux, the Luxembourg cargo airline whose stowaway was on board, declined to comment on the news pending an investigation into the situation.