If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
Woman dies during flight after being refused help
Alan Diaz / Associated Press American Airlines MD-80 jet sits on the tarmac as fire rescue workers check the passenger plane at Miami International Airport. Los Angeles Times From the Associated Press February 25, 2008 NEW YORK -- An American Airlines passenger died after a flight attendant told her he couldn't give her any oxygen and then tried to help her with faulty equipment, including an empty oxygen tank, a relative said. The airline confirmed the flight death and said medical professionals had tried to save the passenger, Carine Desir, who was returning home to Brooklyn from Haiti. Desir, who had heart disease, died of natural causes, medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said Sunday. Desir had complained of not feeling well and being very thirsty on the Friday flight from Port-au-Prince after she ate a meal, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was traveling with her and her brother Joel Desir. A flight attendant gave her water, he said. A few minutes later, Desir said she was having trouble breathing and asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said Sunday in a telephone interview. After the flight attendant refused to administer oxygen to Desir, she became distressed, pleading, "Don't let me die," Oliver recalled. Other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation, he said, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty. Two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty, Oliver said. Desir was put on the floor, and a nurse tried CPR, to no avail, Oliver said. A "box," possibly a defibrillator, also was applied but didn't function effectively, he said. "I cannot believe what is happening on the plane," he said, sobbing. "She cannot get up, and nothing on the plane works." Oliver said he then asked for the plane to "land right away so I can get her to a hospital," and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time, Desir died, Oliver said. "Her last words were, 'I cannot breathe,"' he said. Desir, 44, was pronounced dead by one of the doctors, Joel Shulkin, and the flight continued to Kennedy International Airport without stopping in Miami, with the woman's body moved to the floor of the first-class section and covered with a blanket, Oliver said. American Airlines spokeswoman Sonja Whitemon wouldn't comment Sunday on Oliver's claims of faulty medical equipment. Shulkin, through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, declined to comment on the incident out of respect for Desir's family. American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. and based in Fort Worth, Texas, is the largest domestic airline. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...th25feb25,0,18 77899.story |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
So whose oxygen was it? Her's or the airlines?
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:49:51 GMT, Sorafon wrote: Woman dies during flight after being refused help Alan Diaz / Associated Press American Airlines MD-80 jet sits on the tarmac as fire rescue workers check the passenger plane at Miami International Airport. Los Angeles Times From the Associated Press February 25, 2008 NEW YORK -- An American Airlines passenger died after a flight attendant told her he couldn't give her any oxygen and then tried to help her with faulty equipment, including an empty oxygen tank, a relative said. The airline confirmed the flight death and said medical professionals had tried to save the passenger, Carine Desir, who was returning home to Brooklyn from Haiti. Desir, who had heart disease, died of natural causes, medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said Sunday. Desir had complained of not feeling well and being very thirsty on the Friday flight from Port-au-Prince after she ate a meal, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was traveling with her and her brother Joel Desir. A flight attendant gave her water, he said. A few minutes later, Desir said she was having trouble breathing and asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said Sunday in a telephone interview. After the flight attendant refused to administer oxygen to Desir, she became distressed, pleading, "Don't let me die," Oliver recalled. Other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation, he said, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty. Two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty, Oliver said. Desir was put on the floor, and a nurse tried CPR, to no avail, Oliver said. A "box," possibly a defibrillator, also was applied but didn't function effectively, he said. "I cannot believe what is happening on the plane," he said, sobbing. "She cannot get up, and nothing on the plane works." Oliver said he then asked for the plane to "land right away so I can get her to a hospital," and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time, Desir died, Oliver said. "Her last words were, 'I cannot breathe,"' he said. Desir, 44, was pronounced dead by one of the doctors, Joel Shulkin, and the flight continued to Kennedy International Airport without stopping in Miami, with the woman's body moved to the floor of the first-class section and covered with a blanket, Oliver said. American Airlines spokeswoman Sonja Whitemon wouldn't comment Sunday on Oliver's claims of faulty medical equipment. Shulkin, through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, declined to comment on the incident out of respect for Desir's family. American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. and based in Fort Worth, Texas, is the largest domestic airline. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...th25feb25,0,18 77899.story |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
Justin Case writes:
The Times Story notes it was the oxygen equipment aboard the plane. So the oxygen equipment has not been maintained (if two devices were empty). |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:29:29 -0000, Justin Case
wrote: (John Kulp) wrote in : So whose oxygen was it? Her's or the airlines? http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...flightdeath25f eb25,0,18 77899.story The Times Story notes it was the oxygen equipment aboard the plane. That doesn't tell if passengers are allowed by American to bring their own |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:58:35 +0100, Mxsmanic
wrote: Justin Case writes: The Times Story notes it was the oxygen equipment aboard the plane. So the oxygen equipment has not been maintained (if two devices were empty). By someone. If someone is going to print a story like this they should tell the whole story. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
On 25 Feb 2008 21:14:33 GMT, James Robinson wrote:
There's more to the story than was originally presented by the cousin. The passenger was diabetic, and had a heart condition. American says that when the flight attendant was told of the problem, she went to the senior attendant, and both returned to help the passenger, after notifying the captain. Both oxygen cylinders they used were working properly, and that there are twelve cylinders on that type of aircraft to choose from. They said that when they tried the automatic defibulator, it told them that the person's pulse was too weak to sense, and would therefore not fire off. The flight was about to divert to Miami, but there were a doctor and two nurses on the aircraft that attended to the passenger, and the doctor declared the passenger dead, so they continued to New York City instead. I saw Pauline Frommer on TV tonight. She also said that there were a number of oxygen cylinders but that the doctor(s?) elected to use the bag manually to try to get more oxygen in. She said that the defibrillator detected an adequate pulse so it didn't defibrillate. I'm not sure if that is true or if didn't detect any pulse. I saw some relatives of the deceased on TV and they didn't seem particularly knowledgeable about medical devices. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
Justin Case wrote:
(John Kulp) wrote in : That doesn't tell if passengers are allowed by American to bring their own "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that oxygen on airplanes be dispensed from approved containers available through the airline only, so you may not use your own." (AA.Com) It doesn't matter. The AA oxygen didn't have a problem. It is too bad people rush into ideas based on the initial reports. The followup reports show a much different story. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
LAT/AP: Woman dies during flight after being refused help
Brian wrote:
On 25 Feb 2008 21:14:33 GMT, James Robinson wrote: There's more to the story than was originally presented by the cousin. The passenger was diabetic, and had a heart condition. American says that when the flight attendant was told of the problem, she went to the senior attendant, and both returned to help the passenger, after notifying the captain. Both oxygen cylinders they used were working properly, and that there are twelve cylinders on that type of aircraft to choose from. They said that when they tried the automatic defibulator, it told them that the person's pulse was too weak to sense, and would therefore not fire off. The flight was about to divert to Miami, but there were a doctor and two nurses on the aircraft that attended to the passenger, and the doctor declared the passenger dead, so they continued to New York City instead. I saw Pauline Frommer on TV tonight. She also said that there were a number of oxygen cylinders but that the doctor(s?) elected to use the bag manually to try to get more oxygen in. She said that the defibrillator detected an adequate pulse so it didn't defibrillate. I'm not sure if that is true or if didn't detect any pulse. I saw some relatives of the deceased on TV and they didn't seem particularly knowledgeable about medical devices. That is true, hence the initial reports and the reason for the subject line of this thread. There were MULTIPLE doctors and nurses available. There was nothing wrong with the oxygen, except for the patient and family believing they knew more about medical treatment than the medical personnel. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
CO Pilot Dies After Being Stricken In Flight | auzerais | Air travel | 0 | January 21st, 2007 11:56 PM |
Woman dies from fall on cruise ship in Gulf | Jaap | Cruises | 73 | October 21st, 2006 07:08 PM |
World's oldest woman dies at 116 | Earl Evleth | Europe | 27 | September 1st, 2006 06:21 PM |
French woman tried to pop out for mid-flight ciggie | Simon Elliott | Air travel | 11 | November 24th, 2005 11:57 AM |
refused on flight UK to Mexico | gareth magennis | Latin America | 12 | March 16th, 2004 07:36 PM |