If you're a medical professional onboard a flight, it has probably crossed your mind that you might be called to assist should a health emergency break out. On the other hand, for regular passengers, it probably has never crossed your mind that you may be sitting next to a corpse should someone unfortunately pass away while flying.
According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in every 600 flights will experience a medical issue while skyward. And while this is typically something along the lines of fainting, respiratory problems, heart trouble, nausea or vomiting - in 0.3 per cent of cases, said emergency will result in a death.
Contrary to what you may expect, the pilot is not actually obligated to make an emergency landing should a death occur in flight. Besides the requirement to report the incident in the correct manner, there are no hard-or-face regulations which a pilot and crew need to adhere to in said cases, The Mirror reports.
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Aeroplanes are kitted out with emergency equipment, such as defibrillators, and flight attendants undergo first aid training before flying - which qualifies them to perform potentially life-saving CPR. However, when all else fails to prevent a death, the focus shifts onto trying to maintain a sense of normality - even if that means leaving a corpse in the seat.
TikTok user Sheena Marie, 25, has worked as a flight attendant for two years - and has explained in a viral video on the platform what happens when somebody dies on a plane. Viewed by more than 2.8million people, Sheena says it is not uncommon for dead passengers to be left where they are.
"If they have a heart attack and die, and there is nothing we can do about it, and we can't start CPR, we are just going to wait until we get to our final destination," she said in the video. Despite the myth that bodies are put into lavatories, Sheena has said that this doesn't actually happen. because the body cannot be safely strapped inside the cubicle, to prevent it from moving on more turbulent flights.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an industry group representing aviation companies, has issued guidelines for when a passenger becomes unconscious while travelling air bound. It says flight members should attempt CPR on the passenger for a minimum of 30 minutes - unless prevented from doing so due to turbulence or other obstacles.
Any doctors who are on board are to be requested to assist at the scene. This is not only for valuable medical expertise, but also as a physician is the only person who can legally declare someone as dead. Without a doctor’s ruling, a continually unconscious, unbreathing, unresponsive passenger is only 'presumed' dead.
According to the guidelines, the cockpit should be notified about the status of the emergency - so the captain can arrange to be met with appropriate authorities upon landing. Whether the passenger is presumed or declared dead, it is often decided that there is no point in landing or diverting the plane from its original course.
However, according to Sheena, the pilot has the last word on any decisions made in that regard, which are often made in consultation with air traffic control and MedAire's MedLink service. Instead, the IATA guidelines advise relocating the body to a seat with "few other passengers nearby", such as in business class or a row with empty seats.
On a full plane however, the IATA say that crew members should "put the person back into his/her own seat" in an upright position, and use the seatbelt or any other restraining equipment to hold the body in place. "Close the eyes, and cover the body with a blanket up to the neck," IATA advises if a body bag is not available.
The advised course of action continues to state that upon landing, all passengers should disembark as normal while the body, as well as anyone travelling with the deceased, should stay aboard the plane. From there, medical professionals and airport authorities will take over.
As in any end-of-life situation, preserving dignity and exercising compassion should take precedence above all else.
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