Two nurses revive man, 77, after heart attack on Southwest flight
A 77-year-old man survived a cardiac arrest on a Southwest Airlines flight thanks to the quick intervention of two nurses on board. The passenger is now seeking to thank the individuals who performed life-saving CPR during the flight's descent.
Why it matters
Highlights the critical importance of bystander CPR and emergency medical training in public spaces and high-altitude travel.
Patrick McGee remembers talking to the woman sitting beside him as his Southwest Airlines flight approached Phoenix. His next clear memory was waking up in an ambulance.Somewhere between Omaha, Nebraska, and Phoenix, the 77-year-old grandfather suffered a major cardiac emergency. His heart stopped, and fellow passengers had to perform CPR in the narrow aisle of the plane. McGee later learned that two nurses—one retired and one still practising—stepped in and helped keep him alive until he could receive emergency care on the ground.Once he understood what had happened, McGee had one urgent goal: find the stranger who saved his life.“I owe this person a great deal,” he told local news outlet KPNX.
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