In a surprising turn of events, a FlySafair flight from Cape Town to Lanseria on Monday morning was forced to make an emergency landing in Bloemfontein.
The reason for the diversion was to attend to a male passenger in his 60s who had lost consciousness during the journey. A concerned passenger who was on board the flight reached out to “The Citizen” to share the harrowing experience.
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The FlySafair crew, equipped with basic first aid training, swiftly responded to the medical emergency during the flight.
They identified a passenger in distress, suspected to have suffered a stroke, while the flight was cruising. Immediate action was taken to stabilise the individual. However, as the passenger’s condition worsened, the captain made the crucial decision to divert the flight to Bloemfontein, the nearest airport with medical facilities.
The aircraft safely touched down in Bloemfontein at 08:43 am, where medical personnel were already on standby to assist.
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The passenger was stabilised in the ambulance and transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Remarkably, approximately one hour later, the flight resumed its journey and eventually reached its scheduled destination in Lanseria.
FlySafair spokesperson, Kirby Gordon, commended the airline’s staff for their “extremely professional” handling of the emergency. He assured the public that although medical emergencies don’t happen frequently, the airline’s crews are trained to manage them effectively.
At present, the airline has not received confirmation regarding the condition of the passenger or the nature of his medical emergency. However, they have expressed their well wishes for his speedy recovery.
