A British health worker who was on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced severe turbulence on May 21 recalls the terrifying moments when he tried to save a man who died mid-flight.
Toby Pearl, 21, told the BBC he was on the flight to Australia with his friend Liam James-Morris. Everything was going fine, he said, before the seat belt sign came on and the turbulence “was absolutely instantaneous.”
“No one had time to react. That’s why I think there are so many injured,” Pearl told the news outlet. “I and many other passengers were thrown into the air with carts of drinks, and various small things. And my seat blew up with me.”
Of the 46 people who were hospitalized due to the turbulence, 22 reported spinal cord injuries, while six reported brain and skull injuries.
Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old grandfather, died of a suspected heart attack during the incident.
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Pearl told the BBC that he was one of the people who tried to help Kitchen when he needed medical attention.
He said that within 30 seconds of the turbulence, there were first aid calls for trained paramedics and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to provide assistance.
“Without thinking, I jumped out of my seat and across the aisle,” he said, noting that he sprang into action along with a doctor and nurse.
“I was working as a health worker at Llanarth Court Hospital, which was my main job before I came on the road, so I have some experience in health care, but it was things you don’t normally see,” Pearl further explained.
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He said he performed CPR on Kitchen for about 30 minutes, trying to keep him alive. However, the turbulence was still strong and they were unable to get a shock rhythm on the AED.
Pearl said the doctor and nurse he worked with had to make some “really tough decisions” and eventually called Kitchen’s death. He said it “must have been very difficult because the man’s wife was sitting just one row behind, so she witnessed the whole thing.”
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The flight was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew from London Heathrow Airport to Singapore in a Boeing 777 when it encountered turbulence, according to a previous statement shared on Facebook by Singapore Airlines.
The airline has since said it is implementing new safety measures following the incident, including suspending meal and hot beverage service during times “when the seat belt sign is on,” according to ABC News.
“Crew members will also return to their seats and fasten their seat belts when the seat belt sign is on,” the airline said, according to the publication.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education