Patrick McGee remembers talking to the woman sitting beside him as his Southwest Airlines flight approached Phoenix. His next clear memory was waking up in an ambulance.
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Somewhere between Omaha, Nebraska, and Phoenix, the 77-year-old grandfather suffered a major cardiac emergency. His heart stopped, and fellow passengers had to perform CPR in the narrow aisle of the plane. McGee later learned that two nurses—one retired and one still practising—stepped in and helped keep him alive until he could receive emergency care on the ground.
Once he understood what had happened, McGee had one urgent goal: find the stranger who saved his life.
“I owe this person a great deal,” he told local news outlet KPNX. “I have a son, grandkids, wife, brothers and I’m still here with them because of her.”
A medical emergency at 30,000 feet
The incident happened on July 29 as the Southwest flight was landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. McGee does not remember losing consciousness or the moments when other passengers came to his aid. He only remembers speaking with the woman next to him before suddenly waking up in an ambulance.
Paramedics later explained that he had experienced a heart attack and cardiac arrest. To McGee, the seriousness of the situation became clear only after he regained consciousness.
“There are no words you can say,” he said. “I was gone. They said I was dead and brought back.”
The plane’s cramped cabin made the rescue especially difficult. There was no spacious treatment area, and passengers and crew had to work around seats and the narrow aisle while the aircraft completed its landing.
The first nurse to respond
Retired critical care nurse Lora Holton was sitting nearby when she noticed that McGee was in serious distress. She immediately began CPR, relying on the emergency training she had developed during her career.
“I was scared,” Holton later recalled, as per the report. “You have a lot of adrenaline, and you just do what you’re trained to do and hopefully try to help save someone.”
Holton continued the chest compressions until Kaitlyn Louchheim, a nurse practitioner, took over. Louchheim happened to be on the flight and was able to bring professional medical experience to an emergency unfolding in one of the most challenging places to provide care.
The conditions were far from ideal. With limited space in the aisle, Louchheim reportedly had to position herself on top of McGee to apply enough force for deep compressions. It was physically demanding work, but she continued until there were signs that he was responding.
The moment he came back
As the nurses worked, they began watching for any indication that McGee’s condition was improving. Louchheim said they could see his abdomen rising and falling, and then his eyes briefly opened.
For the people around him, that small movement was an enormous relief. Holton described the moment as emotional, saying everyone was excited when McGee began showing signs of consciousness.
The emergency response continued until the aircraft landed and McGee could be transferred to medical professionals on the ground. He was taken to a hospital for further treatment and recovery.
