A routine flight from the sunny shores of Lanzarote to Liverpool turned into a life-or-death drama when a passenger suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at 30,000 feet.
The cabin crew aboard the EasyJet flight issued a desperate plea for medical assistance over the tannoy system. Their call was answered by a hero passenger, later identified as an off-duty hospital worker, who immediately rushed to the aid of the stricken man.
Witnesses described a scene of sheer panic as the man, believed to be in his 50s, slumped in his seat and lost consciousness. With the aircraft still an hour from its destination, every second was critical.
A Race Against Time
The good Samaritan, drawing on her professional medical training, began performing emergency CPR in the cramped aisle of the Airbus A320. For a tense and agonising period, she fought to keep the man alive, administering chest compressions as fellow passengers looked on in horror.
The flight crew assisted by fetching the plane's onboard medical kit, which includes an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The device was deployed in a bid to restart the passenger's heart.
Emergency Landing Protocol Activated
Recognising the severity of the situation, the pilots made the decisive call to initiate an emergency diversion. They alerted air traffic control and began their descent into Manchester Airport, the nearest major airfield equipped to handle such a crisis.
"The pilot came on and said we were making an emergency landing. The whole thing was terrifying – you could feel the tension in the cabin," recounted one passenger.
Ambulances and paramedics were on standby, ready to meet the aircraft the moment it touched down on the tarmac. The man was swiftly transferred into their care and rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment.
An EasyJet spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: "Our crew requested medical assistance onboard and provided a defibrillator. The aircraft was met by medics and the passenger was taken to hospital. We take our customers' safety extremely seriously."
