Girl, 8, who died after plane made emergency landing in Peoria has been identified

An 8-year-old girl who died Thursday after a United Airlines flight required an emergency landing at Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport has been identified.

Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins previously said that at 7 a.m., deputies responded to the airport after receiving a report of a plane landing at PIA due to a medical emergency. The flight, United Airlines Flight 5121 with service from Joplin Regional Airport in Missouri to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, had been slated to land in Chicago at 7:54 a.m., but landed in Peoria due to the situation.

When deputies came on the scene, they began life-saving measures alongside AMT personnel and Illinois Air National Guard firefighters. The girl was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

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Later Thursday, the Peoria County Coroner's Office identified the victim.

In a news release, the Coroner's Office said, "The child, 8-year-old Sydney Weston, of Carl Junction, MO, was traveling with her family for vacation when she suddenly became ill and then unresponsive in flight. Her family immediately notified the flight personnel of her condition, and they began rapidly rendering aid. Upon landing in Peoria, she was not breathing and had no pulse. Deputies, AMT Personnel, and Air National Guard Fire personnel immediately began life-saving measures.

"Little Weston was emergently transported to OSF Healthcare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where, despite aggressive resuscitative efforts, she was pronounced deceased at 8:05 am this morning."

An autopsy has been scheduled.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Young girl dead after plane makes emergency landing in Peoria