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Cologne Mist Sparks Pa. Airport Probe

Posted on: Thursday, 20 February 2003, 06:00 CST

Cologne Mist Sparks Pa. Airport Probe

AP

A Saudi Arabian traveler set the city's anti-terrorism machine into full gear when he sprayed three airport guards with cologne while trying to demonstrate that the liquid wasn't dangerous.

The security screeners were rushed to Methodist Hospital after being spritzed Wednesday as the student passed through a checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport.

Unsure whether they had a biological attack on their hands, hospital officials ordered a full quarantine. Ambulances inbound to the emergency room were diverted to other hospitals. Patients and staff who had contact with the guards were quarantined for nearly three hours.

"We didn't know what the substance was," said hospital spokeswoman Nan Myers.

FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi said the 22-year-old student, whose name was withheld by authorities, was detained and questioned, then released hours later after chemical tests confirmed that the vapors were harmless.

"He was here legally. All his papers were in order. His flight plans were in order. No federal law was violated. He was released," Vizi said. "He missed his flight to Europe."

Initially, even the screeners themselves didn't consider the incident worth reporting, Vizi said. But they had second thoughts about the sweet-smelling spray and called police, she said.

Flights weren't disrupted and no one was evacuated from the terminal, said airport spokesman Mark Pesce.

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