Have you ever wondered what happens when someone dies on a plane?
Let me set the scene.
On Sunday, September 11th my husband and I boarded Hawaiian Airlines flight 21 from Seattle to Maui. I sat by the window, and he grabbed the aisle for our 5+ hour flight. This was the start of our 20th wedding anniversary celebration.
The flight was turbulence free. We ate a few snacks, and a special rum punch was served to get us into an aloha frame of mind. Things were pretty unremarkable… until they weren’t.
About an hour to landing my husband taps on my shoulder and says, “Something terrible is about to go down with the woman behind us.” Moments after his declaration, we hear a flight attendant over the plane’s PA. “If there is a doctor or medical professional on board, please make yourself known to the crew.” The crew makes this plea twice.
OH NO…
A woman one row back and directly across the aisle from us is unconscious. Her mouth is open and her tongue is hanging out of her mouth. Maybe 30 minutes earlier I had seen her slowly make her way to and from the lavatory with her traveling companion. The women is elderly and my husband is sure she has already died.
Crew and some random passenger begin to offer medical attention. The best medical attention you can give 40,000 feet in the air and one hour away from land. The woman’s body is lifted from her seat and placed on the aircraft’s floor, right in the middle of the aisle. Her feet are even with our row, so everything is happening inches from my husband and a foot or two from me.
A flight attendant retrieved an oxygen tank. One of the passengers began CPR and chest compressions. The entire plane is watching. Unable to help. Unable to move away to give the crew space or the woman dignity.
The plane is equipped with an AED (automated external defibrillator). They place the pads on the woman’s chest, yell for everyone to “CLEAR” and hit the woman with a shock. Over and over and over. The sound of the charge, the sound of the shock, the sound of passengers and crew counting out chest compressions filled the cabin. The plane began its decent into Maui.
I am trying to hide my face and look out the window as tears are streaming from my eyes. Some guy in the row in front of us starts taking pictures. The AED machine is still zapping this woman. People trade off who is doing the chest compressions as their arms tire. One of the flight attendants gets adrenaline from the first aid kit. There is talk of injecting it into the woman. All the while we are getting closer and closer to the airport.
After 30+ minutes of this, life saving efforts had to stop. The crew and passengers needed to sit down and prepare for landing. Uncertain at first about what to do with the woman’s body, crew managed to shimmy a blanket underneath her. They then proceeded to drag her lifeless body down the aisle into the plane’s galley. Her face was not covered as her head passed our seats.
I heard her traveling companion say the woman was 80. She was coming home to Maui after visiting grown grandchildren in Seattle. She apparently had a good trip….
The crew closed the galley’s curtains as we made our final approach into Kahului Airport. We touched down and were quickly at the gate. EMT’s immediately boarded the plane. I have heard that flight crew cannot declare a passenger has died. Only on the ground medical professionals can make that call. A large container was lifted by jack to one of the plane’s exits. The woman’s lifeless body was placed in the container then lowered to ground level for transport away from the airport.
We finally exited the plane.
We were pretty shook from the whole incident. Our exit from the airport happened in a daze. This was a travel experience I hope to never repeat, but one I will never forget.
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Thanks @pinmapple. Sorry my post is a depressing travel share!
It happens in life, we can't always control what we experience, hope the rest of your holiday was a lot more happier
I'd be already doing CPR/AED before the pilot made any announcement. In BC only a practicing medical physician or EMS could declare a person dead. I have visited patient homes on my Community stint and have found the client "Dead" on two occasions. Others, finding the patient having fallen and had broken something.
I hope you don't get nightmares about the experience @dfinney
I have been trained on an AED at work but I always thought you were only supposed to use it under certain circumstances. I think the women died instantly from whatever had happened to her. Thank goodness you have found your clients dead. I always wonder how long a person living alone might be left if they die at home. My grandma is almost 98 and lives on her own. I am fairly certain that an unanswered call to her house one day is going to mean me going over there to see what has happened…
It took us a couple of day to stop obsessing over the events of the flight. Being in Hawaii definitely helped.
Oh, what a strange experience. Poor woman, at least she had a good time visiting her grandchildren.
So weird, and in the middle of the ocean where there is nothing to be done. I just that being said I am glad we were close enough to Maui that we didn’t need to turn around…
Oh wow ! What an experience for everyone.
I guess you WERE shook up a little. I'm not sure how anyone would not be.
You just never know ... do you ?
It was just so weird to have seen her alive and then half hour later dead. I guess there is some comfort in going quick without suffering, but yikes.
OMG what an experience 😯Nobody thinks about that until it happens 😶
A friend of mine is a nurse, and I guess she had to help someone on a plane once in a medical emergency. She says every flight she gets on now she eyes the other passengers to see who looks like a medical emergency risk.
I will probably end up doing the same!
How uncomfortable for you and the other passengers and how sad and tragic an ending to the lady's life. It's good, presuming she had a lovely visit with the family. You are right; you could never forget.
Beautiful last picture! I think I might have just stayed there for a few hours trying to soak in the tranquility! Thanks for sharing @dfinney ! Take care! !LADY
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We had all of these BIG plans for our first day on Maui. We were going to get our rental and go straight to the top of Haleakala volcano. Instead we sat by the pool, ate dinner (at 4) and were in bed by 6:30pm!! Pool life definitely helped to shake the stress of the morning.
Hopefully, you enjoyed the rest of your vacation! Take care @dfinney and enjoy Sunday! !LADY
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I am so sorry you, your Husband, and the entire plane full of passengers, went through this ordeal....
It sounds like they tried so very hard to revive this Lady.........
They tried really hard. I feel like she might have died instantly… hard to know.
Sounds like a very difficult situation........
On another note, I forget to say very happy anniversary to you two!!!😍
That’s one hell of a start to a trip. Hope the rest of it was better.
Happy Anniversary Dfinn.
Exactly how has he put up with you for that long….🤣😂🤣
We will certainly not forget our 20th.
He puts up with me cause I am a babe. 😁😄
And he has his own vibe… 🤪
Babe……oh my sides…..🤣😂
After reading this, I felt a little triggered since I could see how you would be feeling. I could start crying too because I can't do anything to help.
How long it must have taken to reach Maui given the commotion on that hour-long trip.
This kind of incident rarely occurs every day, so I know it will be vivid in your memory.
I sincerely hope she is able to rest peacefully.
Yeah, I still cry when I think about it too much. It was super intense. I am glad she wasn’t alone on the flight and hope her family takes comfort in knowing her passing was quick.
Because of this, @dfinney I constantly remind myself that we won't necessarily experience our fate, our life, or our death in bed or in a hospital. It can occur at any time and anywhere.
You stories just makes me have a deep thought.
What a sad and shocking experience 😢
And you kidding me? The guys was taking photos!!!?? I mean we always take photos for blogging, but honestly, you need to have decency and respect, and stop at some point. He's probably such a jerk that he's posting it on all his social media accounts.
Anyway, hope that didn't effect your mood for the rest of the celebrations.
Yeah I couldn’t believe dude with his camera. Normal feisty me would have told him off, but I was in such a state and there was so much going on… I hope he just got a picture of the crew and not the woman herself. 😔
Photos eh, classy guy 👎
That last picture is great, were you enjoying some poi next to that pool.
#hawaii
I know. Dude was an ass.
No pool poi… but I think there is poi here somewhere.
Oh goodness, oh my!!! May she rest in peace!
I bet you are pretty shaken up!!! I wound be just like you... look out the window and cry.
I am sorry you had to experience that!
What is important is that you made to your Maui.
Happy 20th Anniversary sis!
!LADY
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Right? Thank god it wasn’t the pilot having a medical emergency. I am glad we got to Maui too. Closer to the mainland and we might have diverted back.
You are lucky to be from such a beautiful corner of the world.
Dear @dfinney,
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The campaign aims to onboard new application developers to grow our ecosystem. If you missed the presentation, you can watch it on YouTube.
You cast your vote for the proposal on Peakd, Ecency,
Thank you!