Saving a Life at 30,000 Feet: My Experience of Helping a Passenger with an Asthma Attack

Approximately after an hour, an announcement was made in the cabin requesting the presence of any available doctors to report to the cabin crew. As I was not a medical doctor, I remained seated. However, I observed that no one seemed to be responding to the announcement. Being a certified first aid instructor, I approached the cabin crew and offered my assistance in case it was required.

Upon offering my assistance, the cabin crew asked me to come to the back of the cabin where there was a passenger experiencing an asthma attack. Using my training as a first aid instructor, I was able to recognize the symptoms of asthma based on the passenger’s labored breathing, wheezing, and persistent dry cough.

I asked the passenger if he had an inhaler with him, but he replied that he did not. When I inquired further, he mentioned that he had not experienced an asthma attack before. As a first aid instructor, I had taught my students that in case of a first-time asthma attack, it is essential to call for emergency medical assistance. However, given that we were in an airplane, and I was the only available medical assistance, I had to rely on my training and knowledge to provide the best possible care to the passenger.

Despite providing the passenger with emergency oxygen, he did not show any improvement in his condition. In the cabin, I noticed that there were several women present, and I assumed  that some of them might be nurses. However, to my surprise, none of them offered to help. While I had only received basic first aid training, these nurses would have had more extensive hands-on experience in treating patients.

It was disheartening to see that they were unwilling to assist even though the passenger’s life was potentially at risk. This made me reflect on why some people might be hesitant to help in such situations, even when they have the skills and knowledge to do so.

Despite administering emergency oxygen, the passenger’s condition did not improve. However, at that moment, a lady who identified herself as a nurse offered to assist me. She approached the cabin crew and requested them to make an announcement asking whether any passengers had an inhaler available. A young lady came forward with a Ventolin inhaler, which the nurse then provided to the passenger. Unfortunately, even after using the inhaler, there was no improvement in his condition.

With approximately 3 and a half hours remaining until we reached Cochin, I came to the realization that the passenger’s condition was so severe that he was unlikely to survive until we reached our destination.

I approached the cabin crew and expressed my concern that the passenger might not survive until we reached Cochin. They then consulted with the captain, who joined us to discuss the situation. I informed the captain that the passenger’s condition was critical and that I did not believe he would survive for the next few more hours. The captain asked me to confirm my assessment, and once I did, he suggested that we land in Muscat to seek medical assistance.

Despite my concerns, some of the people seated near the passenger attempted to reassure me, insisting that there was no need to land in Muscat and that everything would be fine. I found their reaction frustrating, as they were aware that diverting the flight to Muscat would cause delays. It seemed that their desire to reach their destination was more important to them than the life of a fellow passenger.

This experience left me feeling saddened and disappointed in human behavior. If we cannot take care of one another in such critical situations, then who will?

I ignored the objections of some passengers, I persisted in my request to the captain and he decided to land in Muscat for the sake of the critically ill passenger. We eventually landed in Muscat, and the passenger was immediately taken to the airport emergency clinic. Unfortunately, his condition did not improve, and he had to be transferred to the main hospital. Later on, we came to know that his condition was stabilized.

Although being in a state of mourning, I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that I had played a pivotal role in saving the life of a fellow human being. Although our flight was delayed by almost three hours, and my family was eagerly waiting for me to return home to take part in my father’s cremation ceremony, I knew that I had made the right decision.