Woman stung by scorpion on United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta

FILE PHOTO: A scorpion on a rock. FILE PHOTO: A scorpion on a rock. Photo: Ernst Haas/Getty Images Photo: Ernst Haas/Getty Images Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Woman stung by scorpion on United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

A female passenger on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta says she was stung by a scorpion in the middle of the flight.

The woman shared a picture of the scorpion with TMZ, and said she was stung "multiple" times during the Thursday flight. After feeling a "stinging sensation" on her leg, she went to the bathroom to check it out.

The woman said the scorpion then fell out of her pant leg and "scurried across the floor" of the plane but flight attendants were eventually able to catch it.

In a statement to USA Today, United Airlines confirmed the stinging, and said the crew "responded immediately."

"After learning that one of our customers on flight 1554 from San Francisco to Atlanta was stung during flight, our crew responded immediately and consulted with a MedLink physician on the ground who provided medical guidance," the statement said. "The customer was transported to a local hospital," Noonan said. "We have been in contact with our customer to ensure her well-being."

United did not respond to an SFGate request for additional information.

TMZ's photo shows the scorpion being held in a box with the United logo on it. It was not clear what type of scorpion it was, how it got on the plane, and what happened to the creature after the plane landed.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting