Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2-year-old grandson one last time.
Time
was
running
out
,
and
Mark
Dickinson
was
n't
sure
whether
he
'd
get
to
see
his
dying
2-year-old
grandson
one
last
time
.
A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
A
long
line
at
Los
Angeles
International
Airport
's
security
checkpoint
had
kept
him
from
getting
to
his
gate
on
time
.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
His
grandson
Caden
would
be
taken
off
life
support
in
a
matter
of
hours
in
Denver
,
Colorado
,
with
or
without
his
grandfather
's
presence
,
according
to
CNN
affiliate
KABC
.
"I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight," Dickinson told KABC.
``
I
was
kind
of
panicking
because
I
was
running
late
,
and
I
really
thought
I
was
n't
going
to
make
the
flight
,
''
Dickinson
told
KABC
.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived.
That
's
when
a
pilot
from
Southwest
Airlines
stepped
up
and
held
the
flight
at
the
gate
until
Dickinson
arrived
.
The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
The
pilot
was
standing
by
the
air
bridge
waiting
for
him
when
Dickinson
arrived
in
socks
,
so
rushed
that
he
just
grabbed
his
shoes
at
security
and
ran
through
the
terminal
.
"I told him, 'Thank you so much.
``
I
told
him
,
'Thank
you
so
much
.
I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.'
I
ca
n't
tell
you
how
much
I
appreciated
that
.
'
And he said, 'No problem.
And
he
said
,
'No
problem
.
They can't leave without me anyway,"' Dickinson told KABC.
They
ca
n't
leave
without
me
anyway
,
'
''
Dickinson
told
KABC
.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room.
Authorities
say
Dickinson
's
grandson
,
Caden
Rodgers
,
suffered
a
head
injury
after
his
mother
's
boyfriend
threw
him
across
the
room
.
The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana at the time.
The
boyfriend
reportedly
told
police
he
was
drunk
and
high
on
marijuana
at
the
time
.
The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
The
child
later
died
and
the
boyfriend
has
been
charged
with
first-degree
murder
,
according
to
the
Aurora
Sentinel
.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson.
Thanks
to
the
pilot
,
Dickinson
made
it
to
Colorado
in
time
to
say
goodbye
to
his
grandson
.
Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog.
Most
airlines
would
punish
any
staff
member
who
holds
up
a
flight
,
according
to
consumer
advocate
Christopher
Elliott
,
who
broke
the
story
of
the
sympathetic
pilot
on
his
blog
.
However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
However
,
a
Southwest
spokeswoman
said
the
pilot
's
actions
were
praiseworthy
.
"You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision," Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said.
``
You
ca
n't
hold
a
plane
for
every
late
customer
,
but
I
think
we
would
all
agree
that
these
were
extenuating
circumstances
and
the
pilot
absolutely
made
the
right
decision
,
''
Southwest
spokeswoman
Marilee
McInnis
said
.
"I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers."
``
I
do
n't
think
you
could
ask
for
a
better
example
of
great
service
for
our
customers
.
''
Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2-year-old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.  His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.  "I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight," Dickinson told KABC.  That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.  "I told him, 'Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.' And he said, 'No problem. They can't leave without me anyway,"' Dickinson told KABC.  Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.  Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.  "You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision," Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. "I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers."