Woman dies on easyJet flight to UK after passengers fought to save her

Three passengers attempted to save a woman's life after she suffered a suspected cardiac arrest on an easyJet flight, according to fellow travellers.

easyJet confirmed that a passenger "required urgent medical assistance" after the flight, which was headed for Liverpool John Lennon Airport from Tenerife, took off around 6.45pm on Tuesday, March 25.

The flight was diverted to Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport in Spain where passengers were provided with overnight accommodation and a rescheduled flight to continue their journey home the following day.

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Eyewitnesses recounted to the Liverpool Echo how three passengers performed CPR for nearly 50 minutes in an effort to save the woman before the plane landed in northern Spain on Tuesday evening.

One man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the ECHO that he was one of the three people who tried to assist the woman after she collapsed.

He told the Liverpool Echo : "I was with my wife, daughter and son-in-law when the staff asked for assistance.

"The staff got an oxygen tank and a defibrillator while myself, a nurse and a physiotherapist took it in turns to perform CPR on the woman.

"We tried our best but she died onboard the plane. When we landed police, paramedics and the CID team came onto the plane before we all got off."

The woman, who is believed to have been 67 years old, is understood to have been travelling with her husband back from the Canary Island.

The man added: "I spoke to her husband afterwards and just said I'm so sorry. We tried everything to keep her alive."

Following the incident, the ECHO reached out to easyJet for a statement, but the airline declined to comment on individual passengers.

Another passenger commended the efforts of both staff and fellow passengers in trying to save the woman's life, stating: "They were exemplary. The woman fell ill and the pilot asked for nurses and doctors over the speaker. Three people came forward and were unbelievable."

In a fresh statement, an easyJet spokesperson said: "Flight EZY3366 from Tenerife to Liverpool on March 25 had to be diverted to Santiago–Rosalía de Castro due to a customer onboard requiring urgent medical attention.

"The well-being of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority. Our crew are trained to respond to medical issues and did everything possible during the flight, along with a medical professional who was assisting on board.

"We have remained in contact with the family and are continuing to offer our support and assistance."

Spanish air traffic controllers posted at the time of the diversion: "The crew of the flight from Tenerife South to Liverpool informs us that they need to urgently divert to the airport at Santiago because they are trying to revive a 67-year-old female passenger who is unconscious.

"We facilitated a continuous descent and approach to runway 35 while medical care on the ground is coordinated with the airport."

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