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Defying Airport Security

Man Nearly Dies After Drinking Bottle of Vodka

When security officers told a 64-year-old airline passenger he couldn't take his bottle of vodka on board a flight, the man decided to drink it instead. But his refusal to pay for his bag to be checked in or dump the liquid nearly cost him his life.

The rigours of airport security have caused many passengers to grumble about the discomforts of air travel, particularly the rules forbidding passengers to carry on all but the smallest amounts of liquids. But one German man's attempt to beat the system backfired drastically and almost cost him his life.

The 64-year-old nearly died from alcohol poisoning on Tuesday after knocking back one liter (two pints) of vodka at the security check in Nuremberg airport.

The man was switching planes on his way home from a holiday in Egypt to Dresden when security officials told him that he was not allowed to bring the liquor bottle on board. New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying liquid containers with a volume of over 100 milliliters on to planes.

The holidaymaker was told he would have to pay to have his bag checked into the luggage hold, or else dump the offending booze. However, the man decided upon a third option -- and chugged back the liter of alcohol.

"The vodka quickly had an effect," a police spokesperson told the DPA news agency. The passenger was unable to stand or function and a doctor was called to the scene.

The man, who hails from the eastern German city of Görlitz, was deemed to have life-threatening alcohol poisoning and was sent to a Nuremberg hospital for treatment. He is still recovering there but is expected to be able to make his way home in time for Christmas.

smd/ap/dpa