Team USA’s judo coach has reportedly lost permanent vision in his right eye due to an incident involving a JetBlue flight attendant. While serving coffee, the attendant accidentally dropped the pot, causing burns to his face.
Alturus Ranchin Skas, a third-degree black belt and owner of Top Martial Arts School in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, was en route to the Pan American Judo Championships in Lima, Peru, in July 2023. He was coaching the American team on this particular flight.
“It felt like a surge in fire on the surface of my eyeballs,” the 30-year-old Ranchin Skas recounted. “The pain was sharp and immediate, like a burning needle.”
In what could be seen as a stroke of luck, a passenger nearby, who happened to be a doctor, jumped in to assist Ranchin Skas, advising him to rinse his eyes repeatedly.
However, according to his lawyer, Erin R. Applebaum, the flight attendant admonished Ranchin Skas for using the bathroom frequently. “Even he said, ‘You’re not the only one on the plane. We have other guests who need to use the facility,'” she reported.
Ranchin Skas claimed that the flight attendant, while trying to serve coffee to other passengers, ended up spilling it and burning him. After landing in Peru, he was taken to the hospital for treatment of facial and eye burns, as noted by his lawyer.
A specialist in New York City diagnosed him with a heat injury and chemical burn to his right eye. Applebaum mentioned that he now has diminished vision and his eyes are permanently sensitive to light.
Ranchin Skas’ Judo school, Darfight Martial Arts, is ranked second in the nation by USA Judo. At the Pan American U15 Championships, Team USA managed to secure two silver and five bronze medals.
JetBlue has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the situation.
