A United Airlines passenger has died after suffering a terrifying medical emergency during a flight from Tokyo to Denver, forcing the Boeing 787-9 to divert to Seattle.
The incident unfolded Tuesday aboard United Flight 142, which was traveling from Narita International Airport in Japan to Denver International Airport.
About six-and-a-half hours into the roughly 10½-hour flight, a male passenger suddenly became unresponsive, according to an eyewitness account.
The witness said she awoke to a commotion and saw the man lying on the cabin floor as three off-duty firefighters and a flight attendant rushed to help him.
His family was nearby as the emergency unfolded.
According to the witness, the man’s skin eventually turned a “deep purple” while the firefighters desperately worked to keep him alive.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the flight crew reported a passenger medical emergency.
The three firefighters, who happened to be traveling as passengers, reportedly administered oxygen and intravenous fluids while the pilots changed course for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
At one point, the pilot reportedly left the cockpit to assess what was happening in the cabin.
The plane was still about 45 minutes from Seattle as the emergency responders continued treating the man.
United Airlines said the aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and 12 crew members.
Paramedics were waiting when the Dreamliner touched down at Sea-Tac.
The passenger was removed from the aircraft and turned over to medical personnel.
TMZ later reported that the man died and that his body was transferred to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
His identity has not been publicly released.
Officials have also not announced what caused the sudden medical crisis.
The witness described an emotional scene as the man’s family watched other passengers and crew members fight to save him thousands of feet above the Pacific.
After the medical emergency was handled in Seattle, United said the flight eventually continued on to Denver.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, one of the wide-body jets United commonly uses on long international routes.
The scheduled nonstop route between Tokyo Narita and Denver covers nearly 5,800 miles and normally takes roughly 10½ hours.
Medical diversions are relatively uncommon, but flight crews can reroute an aircraft when a passenger’s condition is considered serious enough to require immediate treatment on the ground.
In this case, the crew headed for Seattle while the off-duty firefighters provided emergency care until professional medical teams could meet the aircraft.
No additional information about the passenger’s medical history or cause of death has been released.
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