Man Proposes by Text Message While Stranded at Chicago's O’Hare Airport

Danny Roderique was headed to Arizona to propose to his girlfriend in person.

ByABC News
December 29, 2015, 11:38 AM

— -- An Arizona man waiting to fly home to propose to his girlfriend was forced to propose to her via text message after spending 50 hours stranded at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Danny Roderique, of Phoenix, had the diamond engagement ring in his pocket but the delay got in the way of the proposal he’d planned.

“I’ve been stranded now in the airport for 50 hours,” Roderique told a reporter from ABC affiliate WLS-TV while still waiting at O’Hare on Monday.

“I’m just, holiday travel, it’s all I can say, and the weather,” Roderique said of the reasons for his seemingly never-ending delay.

Roderique, who could not be reached today by ABC News, showed the WLS-TV reporter the text message he sent to his girlfriend while at the airport.

“Marry me,” the text read, with a photo of the diamond ring. “Took me hours to pick this ring out none of them were good enough for you.”

Roderique’s now-fiance, identified in the text message as Heather, appeared to be surprised but not dismayed by the unconventional proposal.

“OMG!!!!!! You serious?!?!?,” she wrote in reply. “Baby YES!!!!! I’m balling my eyes out right now. OMG!”

The newly-engaged couple also texted each other “I love you” after the proposal.

WLS-TV reports at least 900 flights had been cancelled Monday at O'Hare Airport, which also had an average flight delay time of one hour.