An American bride's fairytale wedding turned into a nightmare after a "bomb scare" at Gatwick Airport left her stranded amidst widespread chaos.
Chelsea, 29, was attempting to return to New York City following her countryside wedding in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, when the UK's second busiest airport was closed to passengers.
Sussex Police deployed its bomb disposal unit to the airport's South Terminal following the discovery of a suspicious package.
The security alert caused mass disruption, with more than 50 departures and arrivals cancelled, including British Airways halting at least 30 departures to destinations including Spain and Portugal.
Chelsea, whose British husband works in the north, found herself caught in the middle of the emergency evacuation.
Upon arriving at the airport at 12.30pm, Chelsea discovered the South Terminal was shut down and had to relocate to the North Terminal, where she spent an hour with a security guard who revealed concerning details about the situation.
"This security guard told me personally that his colleague working baggage X-ray this morning found what appeared to be a bomb," she told MailOnline.
"He was severely on edge, along with the other security at North Terminal," Chelsea said.
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Having grown up in Florida and now living in the Big Apple, Chelsea said that although she is familiar with security threats, she felt particularly vulnerable, adding: "Looking around, I knew most people didn't know."
She also revealed: "I just wanted to get out and be safe."
The scale of disruption at Gatwick was significant, with thousands of passengers forced to wait outside the terminal in freezing conditions.
British Airways was criticised for their handling of the situation, with Chelsea stating they "insisted" her flight was departing on time "until an hour after it was meant to have taken off".
She didn't receive notification of her cancelled flight until 4pm, despite the evacuation occurring hours earlier.
Armed police were visible throughout the airport, with witnesses reporting officers wearing "explosive" patches on their jackets and sniffer dogs entering the terminal.
The airport's South Terminal remained closed for several hours, with those already airside being directed to Gate 31 at the farthest edge of the airport for safety.
The security alert was eventually resolved and cleared by police later that afternoon, and Chelsea was eventually rebooked on a flight from London Heathrow Airport for 5pm the following day.
"This has been the most worrying flight experience I've endured," said the newlywed, who works as an actor and Group Fitness instructor in New York.
"Between this bomb, the threat in NYC, and the scare outside of the American Embassy in London, I'm happy I did not end up on a flight today," she added.
"I'm safe and happy to have my new family close by, so I have a warm place to sleep while this has passed," she said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she concluded: "This is definitely not how I expected to end my trip!"
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Chelsea, 29, was attempting to return to New York City following her countryside wedding in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, when the UK's second busiest airport was closed to passengers.
Sussex Police deployed its bomb disposal unit to the airport's South Terminal following the discovery of a suspicious package.
The security alert caused mass disruption, with more than 50 departures and arrivals cancelled, including British Airways halting at least 30 departures to destinations including Spain and Portugal.
Chelsea, whose British husband works in the north, found herself caught in the middle of the emergency evacuation.
Upon arriving at the airport at 12.30pm, Chelsea discovered the South Terminal was shut down and had to relocate to the North Terminal, where she spent an hour with a security guard who revealed concerning details about the situation.
"This security guard told me personally that his colleague working baggage X-ray this morning found what appeared to be a bomb," she told MailOnline.
"He was severely on edge, along with the other security at North Terminal," Chelsea said.
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Having grown up in Florida and now living in the Big Apple, Chelsea said that although she is familiar with security threats, she felt particularly vulnerable, adding: "Looking around, I knew most people didn't know."
She also revealed: "I just wanted to get out and be safe."
The scale of disruption at Gatwick was significant, with thousands of passengers forced to wait outside the terminal in freezing conditions.
British Airways was criticised for their handling of the situation, with Chelsea stating they "insisted" her flight was departing on time "until an hour after it was meant to have taken off".
She didn't receive notification of her cancelled flight until 4pm, despite the evacuation occurring hours earlier.
Armed police were visible throughout the airport, with witnesses reporting officers wearing "explosive" patches on their jackets and sniffer dogs entering the terminal.
The airport's South Terminal remained closed for several hours, with those already airside being directed to Gate 31 at the farthest edge of the airport for safety.
The security alert was eventually resolved and cleared by police later that afternoon, and Chelsea was eventually rebooked on a flight from London Heathrow Airport for 5pm the following day.
"This has been the most worrying flight experience I've endured," said the newlywed, who works as an actor and Group Fitness instructor in New York.
"Between this bomb, the threat in NYC, and the scare outside of the American Embassy in London, I'm happy I did not end up on a flight today," she added.
"I'm safe and happy to have my new family close by, so I have a warm place to sleep while this has passed," she said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she concluded: "This is definitely not how I expected to end my trip!"
Find Out More...