This week Sunday Night has a special investigation into Malaysia Airlines,lifesavers and females in the horse racing industry.
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: ATTACKED AT 40,000 FEET
Malaysia Airlines flight MH20 to Paris. It’s three hours into the overnight flight – the lights are switched off and the cabin is in darkness. A 26-year-old Australian woman is all alone on the back row of the plane. Laura is very nervous about flying with the airline that has recently made headlines around the world, but is reassured by the chief steward who says he will check in on her later. What happens when he returns shortly afterwards is difficult at first to comprehend, but when you hear Laura describe it, you get a sense of the absolute terror she felt as the man sat down beside her, blocking her in. The incredible twist to this story is that while Laura was frozen in panic as the steward placed his hands under the blanket and onto on her stomach, she had the presence of mind to hit record on the mobile phone under her pillow. As the man sexually assaults her he doesn’t know his dreadful crime is being captured by his victim. Afterwards, once the steward has walked away, Laura raises the alarm to another passenger and the Captain is called. When the steward is summoned, Laura films again as she confronts him in front of passengers and crew over what he did to her. It is remarkable vision. Upon landing in Paris, the steward – who is married with three daughters – was detained by police and two weeks later is still behind bars after making admissions. Brave Laura is speaking out for the first time about what happened to her on flight MH20 because she feels let down by the actions of the airline. In this international investigation, Sunday Night’s chief investigations reporter Ross Coulthart goes in search of answers.
CHAMPION CYRIL
Bondi lifesaver Cyril Baldock is a dead-set legend and living proof that age is no barrier to achieving anything. Overnight the 70-year-old grandfather has become the oldest person ever to swim the English Channel – and Sunday Night was with Cyril every stroke of his 12-hour, 45-minute record-breaking achievement. In fact, we have been following the colossus for months as he trained to swim the Channel for the second time – Cyril first conquered it 29- years ago when he was 41. What unfolds during the day of drama is extraordinary, right up until the heart-warming moment when Cyril staggers ashore onto jagged rocks on the French coast to be wrapped in our Aussie flag. Even Sunday Night reporter Alex Cullen has described it as the most “insane day” of his life.
LADIES OF THE TRACK
Horse racing is on the verge of its greatest reinvention — women are outnumbering the men in training for the most dangerous land-based job around. And they’re winning. In this $22 billion industry, women have few advantages on the blokes and have faced adversity in the Sport of Kings.
But these inspiring women battled hard to ditch Fashions on the Field and make it into the big leagues. Now, the revolution is here. We meet one of the toughest and most ambitious female jockeys in the industry. Just 19-years old and weighing in at around 50kg, she is a pint-sized bundle of determination and has her crosshairs set on the prestigious Melbourne Cup. But this is a profession more treacherous than boxing or motorcycle racing, with about 90 per cent of all jockeys suffering a fall under thundering hooves at least once in their careers. We see just what that can cost a rider – and :their family. Don’t miss this incredible insight into the new ladies of the racetrack.
8:45 PM Sunday on Seven
