WestJet loses son's wheelchair in Calgary stopover from Dublin to Seattle: mom

Tyler Cooley's new wheelchair was lost by WestJet on a Calgary layover of a flight between Dublin and Seattle, his mom says.

A mother is speaking out after she says WestJet lost her son's wheelchair on a flight from Dublin to Seattle that connected in Calgary.

Kathi Cooley said her 27-year-old son Tyler had a three and a half hour layover in Calgary on Sunday.

Tyler was told that his chair had been flown directly to Seattle, but when he got there, airline staff told him they couldn't find it.

Cooley said they helped Tyler get around in an airport wheelchair, but then sent him off in a rental car without one.

Her son is now borrowing a different wheelchair while he waits for WestJet to track his down.

"I mean this is his legs," she said, in an interview with CTV News. "He can't get anywhere without it. So – and it's not only the fact that they lost the chair, but the lack of care, just like sticking somebody in their rental car, and sticking somebody on a bus, and letting them transfer to a bus without even a chair to get anywhere.

"I mean, this whole thing is so totally crazy - and nobody should have to go through this."

Cooley said the wheelchair is new and valued at about $10,000.

WestJet said it is sorry, and has gotten him a rental in the meantime that was delivered to him Tuesday while its central baggage systems continues to look for the missing chair.

WestJet file photo