When a man suffered a heart attack onboard a United Airlines transpacific flight to Japan, the best of humanity came out…even at 40,000 feet.
Heart Attack On United Airlines Transpacific Flight Brings Out The Best Onboard
A passenger traveling from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) shared the following experience:
SFO to NRT today, and about halfway across the Pacific an elderly gentleman, headed home for a funeral, has a medical emergency. Turns out he was at the hospital yesterday being treated for chest pains, and today was his heart attack. Flight was almost diverted to Anchorage and then Sapporo, but he was stable enough, so we didn’t have to.
Young man in Polaris exchanged seats with the stricken passenger (row 49) so he could lie flat. Crew asked if there was a doctor on board, and there were two, both cardiac specialists. Second announcement an hour later, asking if anyone had nitroglycerin (there’s an ask one doesn’t often hear on a plane!), and four passengers did. Pedal down, we arrived 30 minutes early in Narita. A four person medical crew escorted him off the plane safely, walking on his own.
The crew didn’t miss a beat, handling all the meal and drink services in the last half of the trip without a hitch. They asked the passengers to remain seated when we landed so emergency crews could board, and everyone did.
Damn impressive.
Impressive yes, but fortunate too. Fortunately, there were not only two doctors onboard, but cardiac specialists. Indeed, it is not every day you hear, “Ladies and gentlemen. If anyone has nitroglycerin, would you please ring their call button?”
It is my understanding that in addition to a first aid kit, airlines have a special bag (EMK) with more advanced drugs that can only be opened by a licensed professional. Maybe the doctor needed extra nitroglycerin?
Kudos to the passenger who gave us his Polaris seat so the patient could lie-flat. I hope that United will either give him a refund or at least generous enough compensation that he can book into Polaris next time he crosses the Pacific Ocean…
Kudos to everyone onboard:
- Passengers remained calm
- Flight attendants resumed service after the passenger stabilized
- Pilots put the “petal to the metal” so the plane arrived early in Japan and avoided a costly diversion
- Doctors who stepped up when duty called
It’s a beautiful picture of how we can all work together when we try…
Get Daily Updates
Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.
Nice to see a positive article and outcome@
You see “humanity”, I see a selfish individual who shouldn’t have flown after having chest pains the day before. And before anyone uses the “funeral” excuse, the dead know how you felt about them and don’t care if you show up or not. A lifetime of action toward someone beats showing up at some fake service and feigning sadness.
Compassion goes a long way. Funerals aren’t just about the departed—they’re also for the living, giving people a chance to say goodbye, find closure, and support one another. Life isn’t always so black and white, and sometimes people make tough choices based on what matters most to them.
Douchebag Dave (Edwards), proving with every comment the accuracy of your nickname.
Douchebag Dave (Edwards), re “selfish individual” and “don’t care if you show up or not”, always projecting and self-owning (look them up, you’re clearly too stupid to know what they are). It’s obvious how everyone feels about you (hint, it’s not respectful or flattering). Just because you’re an insensitive schmuck doesn’t mean everyone else is.
It must be truly sad to be you.
Are you ever happy, Dave. I don’t know anything about you other than your comments on this site… Man, you seem absolutely miserable. Do you like ANYTHING?
Humanity, good fortune and I imagine a plane full of prayers.
I’m glad it worked out well.
Matthew, it’s “pedal to the metal”, not “petal to the metal”
I.E. in a car, you push the accelerator pedal all the way to the bottom, touching the metal of the floor.
If there was a complete CYA mentality, they would have diverted. Instead, they used reasonable judgment.
I was once on a plane where a man was having a heart attack and he insisted that there not be a diversion because he had a meeting to attend! The captain said “fine” and continued without delay. An ambulance met the plane and wheeled him off. I suspect he missed his business meeting.
Sounds like they ran out of nitroglycerin. EMKs have it along a crazy assortment of other medicines and tools i.e. catheters and iv kits
Sounds like they ran out of nitroglycerin – the kit should be well stocked.
LHG has a good program – they verify credentials/licensure prior to flights and your name is given to the purser/MdC so you can help if the need arises.
https://www.swiss.com/ua/en/prepare/special-care/health-and-travel/doctor-on-board.html
I’ve been asked to help twice – neither were particularly serious cases but the cabin crew was very grateful – once I had to buy another bag to take home all the gifts; chocolate bars, wooden cutting boards, toys for the kids and two bottles of Pommery Champagne Cuvee Louise.
I suspect they were thankful they were able to go about their duties and allow someone else to take care of the ill passenger.