A flight from Bodrum, Turkey, to Bristol Airport was forced to make an emergency landing in Zagreb after an elderly passenger suffered a suspected heart attack mid-flight. The passenger appeared to stop breathing, prompting urgent medical intervention by flight attendants and fellow travelers.
The easyJet flight EZY2854/U22854 had already experienced a delayed departure from Bodrum due to the elderly woman, who was travelling in a wheelchair with her husband and a young boy. The situation quickly escalated approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the flight when the young boy urgently shouted, “she’s not breathing,” causing alarm throughout the cabin.
One witness, a resident of Clevedon, described seeing the crew immediately respond by performing CPR and calling for medically trained passengers to assist. “Two men stepped forward and performed chest compressions for about ten minutes as the crew worked frantically to revive her,” she said.
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The aircraft swiftly began its descent, described as almost “falling out of the sky,” and made an emergency landing in Zagreb around 18 minutes after the emergency began. Emergency services were already waiting on the tarmac to take over care. Passengers and the woman’s relatives were then held in Zagreb for over two hours while her luggage and personal belongings were located before the flight continued to Bristol, arriving at roughly 1:40 a.m.
An easyJet spokesperson confirmed the passenger required “urgent medical attention” and praised the crew’s response. “The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority,” the spokesperson stated.
The incident highlights the importance of quick thinking and emergency preparedness in handling serious medical situations during flights.