A baggage handler was rescued when passengers heard his screams after an Air Canada aircraft began moving with him trapped inside the baggage hold.

Stephanie Cure, who travelled on Air Canada Rouge Flight 1502  on December 13 told CBC news that she and other passengers to the rear of the aeroplane had heard strange noises as takeoff began.

Noises that Cure said sounded like muffled cries.

“You could just kind of see, like, everyone was just like tense,” Cure told CBC. “You can hear some muffled, like someone yelling for help.”

In the CBC report, passengers recalled watching the crew gather around the aircraft, as takeoff was halted, without understanding what was going on.

Once rescued, the worker was allowed to enter the cabin to show the passengers he was unharmed.

The aircraft returned to the terminal where passengers disembarked, and after several hours, the flight was cancelled.

In a statement, Air Canada confirmed the incident, indicating that the worker was a member of their ground crew and said they were investigating.