Wayland firefighter and twin sister help save unresponsive woman on a flight to Florida
Twin sisters from a Massachusetts town helped save a woman’s life when she became unresponsive on a JetBlue flight from Boston to Fort Meyers.
Wayland Firefighter and paramedic Lindsay Byrne, and her sister, Nicole Kelly, who works as a traveling nurse at Lahey Hospital in Burlington, were on an Aug. 1 flight to Florida when they heard an announcement over the plane’s intercom that a woman was in need of medical attention right away.
Flight attendants asked passengers with medical backgrounds to help assist the woman and that is when Byrne and Kelly sprung into action alongside a Florida firefighter to help assist the unconscious woman.
“It was just an instinct to run to the front, I wasn’t nervous just didn’t know what to expect,” Kelly told Boston 25 News. “I guess the most stressful part of it was being on the plane and having limited resources, but thankfully it all worked out, and hopefully she’s ok today.”
According to Wayland Fire Department, the woman had a faint pulse, was having difficulty breathing, and her skin appeared grey which led the three of them to determine that she was having a diabetic emergency.
They sat the woman up to clear her airway and fed her sugar packets, which helped her regain consciousness. They stayed with the woman until the plane landed in Fort Myers, where that woman was transported to an area hospital by ambulance.
“Incidents like these are what first responders and medical professionals train for. Seeing this training and professionalism kick into action beyond our small community and in an environment with limited resources is a proud moment for the department that made a difference in someone’s life.” Wayland Fire Chief McPherson said. “I commend Lindsay and Nicole for working together and utilizing both of their unique skill sets to take this swift, lifesaving action while flying aboard an aircraft.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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