Paramedic sheds light on mid-air suicide attempt from Bangkok
A paramedic stepped forward to provide more details regarding a man’s suicide attempt on a flight from Thailand to the United Kingdom. The off-duty paramedic reportedly intervened on the EVA Air BR67 flight from Bangkok to London on Friday, March 15, to assist the man who had attempted to take his own life in the aeroplane bathroom.
Gareth Lines, travelling from Thailand to Heathrow, became aware of a disturbance at the rear of the aircraft. Initially assuming someone had collapsed, he soon realised the situation was more grave.
The 36 year old medical professional from Portsmouth utilised his training to administer CPR.
“I just thought ‘what is going on?’ It looked like someone had collapsed at the back of the plane, but it turned out to be worse than I’d thought and his heart had stopped. This gentleman had tried to end his life and the plane crew and I dragged him out into the kitchen area.”
Lines had been on a stag do before boarding the EVA Air flight from Bangkok to London Heathrow. Thirty minutes before the flight was scheduled to land, a man reportedly attempted to end his life in the plane’s cabin bathroom.
Lines noted that the plane was equipped with basic medical supplies, including an automatic defibrillator. He requested oxygen from the crew, which he then utilised during the incident.
“Without drugs, we couldn’t do much more. The guy was in cardiac arrest for 30 minutes then 15 minutes after the London ambulance crew arrived.
“They managed to get him to hospital and his heart was beating again. It is usually pretty fatal for anyone, if he hadn’t had CPR. It surprised me as well.
“On the road, we have a full complement of kit. Within 20 to 30 minutes, we considered stopping CPR but the guy on the plane was down for a good 30 to 40 minutes. There is no chance he would have made it if he wouldn’t have had CPR. Ultimately that’s what is going to save someone’s life.”
Lines, who has been in the ambulance service for ten years and has been a paramedic since 2019, emphasises the importance of everyone knowing CPR.
“It is something anyone should be able to do – it shouldn’t have to take a professional to do it. Good quality CPR is all that is needed to potentially keep someone alive in the event of a cardiac arrest – before the emergency
“You never know. I certainly didn’t expect it either way. It was an interesting landing whilst doing CPR – certainly a new experience. I was thankful to have the support of the airline staff, who remained calm in the difficult circumstances – and to the pilot for a fairly smooth landing as well!”
Original story: Mid-air drama: Man’s attempted suicide on Thailand to UK flight
Breaking news has emerged regarding a man’s attempted suicide on a flight from Thailand to the United Kingdom on Friday. The aircraft was forced to undergo an emergency landing at a London airport after a passenger reportedly tried to take his own life in a cabin toilet.
The EVA Air BR67 flight from Bangkok to London had started its descent into the capital when flight attendants became aware that someone was occupying one of the cabin bathrooms. As passengers were required to vacate the bathroom and fasten their seatbelts for the descent, crew members went to investigate the occupant’s situation, leading to a distressing discovery.
An unidentified male passenger was found in a state of serious distress and had sustained injuries that prompted the cabin crew and an onboard doctor to provide immediate first aid. The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, was stabilised and promptly transported to a hospital upon landing.
EVA Air has since confirmed the distressing incident but has not provided details regarding the extent of the man’s injuries, nor did they specify the destination airport. However, according to the aircraft tracking site FlightAware, the plane landed at Heathrow at 7.03pm local time, 17 minutes ahead of schedule. The nationality of the man involved remains unknown.
Further attempts to reach EVA Air for additional comments have been made, but they have yet to respond. More news as we get it.
