The mysterious death of a 22-year-old Southwest Airlines passenger who suddenly became unresponsive during a flight from Dallas to Los Angeles has taken a disturbing turn after medical examiners revealed that two opioid-like compounds commonly associated with products sold at gas stations and convenience stores caused his death.
Rain McMillen Walmsley was traveling aboard Southwest Flight 958 on August 7 when he suffered a medical emergency thousands of feet above the ground. Despite efforts to save him, the young man died, leaving his grieving family searching for answers.
Now, three months later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that Walmsley died from the combined effects of 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH, and mitragynine, two compounds associated with the kratom plant.
His death was ruled accidental.
The findings shed new light on what happened aboard the flight and raise concerns about the potentially deadly effects of concentrated kratom products that have become increasingly available across the United States.
According to flight records, the Southwest aircraft departed Dallas Love Field shortly after 6 a.m. Central Time and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport approximately three hours later.
During the flight, Walmsley became unresponsive, prompting an emergency medical response. CPR was reportedly administered before the plane landed, where paramedics were waiting to assist.
Unfortunately, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
At the time, Southwest Airlines confirmed that a passenger had experienced a medical incident but declined to provide additional details. The medical examiner initially listed the cause of death as pending further investigation.
The newly released findings identify the two substances responsible but do not establish exactly what product Walmsley consumed or when he took it.
Kratom comes from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant-like or opioid-like effects, depending on the amount consumed.
Although kratom was once primarily sold as a loose herbal powder, products containing its active compounds are now marketed in tablets, drinks, gummies and concentrated extracts, sometimes appearing alongside ordinary convenience-store merchandise.
Medical experts have expressed particular concern about concentrated 7-OH products, which can be significantly more potent than traditional kratom leaves.
The American College of Medical Toxicology warns that 7-OH can produce opioid-like effects, including dangerous suppression of breathing, dependence and overdose. While only small amounts occur naturally in kratom leaves, some manufactured products contain much higher concentrations.
Federal health officials have also increased scrutiny of these products, warning that their growing popularity presents serious public health concerns.
Walmsley’s death comes amid heightened attention to kratom-related emergencies nationwide, including investigations involving other young adults. However, authorities have not established that those separate deaths were caused by the same substances.
For Walmsley’s family, the medical examiner’s findings provide an explanation for a sudden loss that cut short a promising young life.
Born in Seattle and raised on Washington’s Vashon Island, Walmsley had recently graduated from Hunter College in New York City with a journalism degree. He had previously attended Western Washington University and was beginning the next chapter of his life.
His mother, Heather McMillen, remembered him as an intelligent, compassionate young man who brought enormous joy to those around him.
“He was a little spark plug, and he was beautiful and really smart and also really kind,” she told the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber following his death.
“He was just coming into himself.”
The tragedy has left his loved ones mourning a future filled with possibilities, while the newly disclosed cause of death highlights the potentially serious dangers associated with powerful kratom-derived substances.
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