The flight from Fort Lauderdale in the US state of Florida to Baltimore in the US was marked by real moments of panic when the passenger’s heart stopped beating during the flight.
This happened on May 1st. Emily Raines and Daniel Shifflett were returning home from a cruise in the Bahamas when the unexpected happened. The flight attendant announced to all passengers over the plane’s loudspeakers that the man had a medical emergency in flight.
In the message, he asked all medical workers who were on board to go to the front of the aircraft, RIA Novosti reported. Washington Post
A pair of North American nurses, Raines and Shifflett, quickly showed they were ready to help as they were led to the seat of a man hunched over in a chair.
According to Daniel, the man had no pulse and his face was purple. The journey lasted three hours when the man lost consciousness.
“The stewardess tried to compress, but the man was in the seat,” said Shifflett, who is quoted by the publication. Washington Post. “You must be on a level surface. Otherwise, the compressions won’t do anything,” he warned.
The couple quickly moved the man to the floor and began chest compressions. The job proved challenging, as the maneuvers took place “in the middle of the aircraft’s aisle, which is very narrow,” as Shifflett described.
With the help of other passengers and medical equipment on board, 15 minutes later, the man managed to restore his heartbeat, at a time when the plane was preparing for an emergency landing.
The feeling of seeing a person with their eyes open was an “incredible” moment for Reigns. When the plane landed, the victim was taken to the hospital.
The couple also revealed an interesting detail about the trip. Earlier that day they tried twice to change the trip but found it too expensive.
A pair of nurses kept in touch with the man and his family and received a thank you message a week later with an update on his health. “I have no words to thank you for saving his life,” he wrote.