Nurse Couple Springs Into Action To Revive Passenger Who Stopped Breathing During Flight

Jun 07, 2023

Heroes don't always come with capes, and they can be spotted in all facets of life. From performing the simplest task like saving a pet from falling to taking up arduous tasks like handling a pandemic, all heroes hold a special place in the hearts of recipients. For David Shifflett and Emily Gaines, the need for their skills came when they least expected, but the fast-thinking couple wasted no time plunging into action when the situation came along. 

Gaines and Shifflett were flying back home after a Caribbean romantic getaway when they received an emergency notification from a flight attendant. The flight was a three-hour journey, and the situation occurred halfway through the trip. Like other passengers, the couple was informed that a man aboard the plane required a medical emergency. The distressed flit attendant pleaded that anyone with medical experience should rise to the occasion. 

Without further ado, Gaines and her man quickly swung into action. The lovers revealed their medical experience as nurses before experiencing the indelible moment together. While Shifflett practiced as a nurse for five years before transitioning into finance, Gaines, who is still practicing, works as an acute care nurse with a 10-year of experience. The partners met in 2018 at Sheppard Pratt when they worked in the same hospital. 

The qualified personnel joined forces to work on the emergency and made news headlines after exceptionally saving the day. The duo exercised their knowledge right from the start as they quickly calculated and designated tasks to each other. The lovers took over the situation, which resulted in a positive end.

Speaking to the Washington Post, Gaines revealed that she immediately thought of how they could save the situation by telling her partner to handle compression while she took care of everything else. They were informed that the person in need of the emergency was a man who stopped breathing. 

When the couple arrived at the scene, they noticed that the patient had turned purple. Another flight attendant appeared to have been performing compressions as the man was placed in a sitting position. Knowing this would not do, Gaines immediately asked that he be placed in a horizontal position on the plane's aisle floor. She stated that the space was quite tight, but it was something they could work with. 

She narrated the whole situation noting that she started by giving him a "rescue breath," but there were no changes. Fortunately, the plane was equipped with some medical apparatus, including an oropharyngeal airway and a bag valve mask. Gaines used the airway device. 

Describing the situation as overwhelming, she was able to use both devices to work on the patient while Shifflett performed compressions. The whole thing took about 20 minutes, and the patient was revived seven minutes before the plane got to its destination. Gaines noted that the situation was miraculous because the success rate of CPRs in dire situations was often low. She noted: 

"Not a lot of times when you give CPR or have situations like this do patients truly make it. It doesn't happen often."

Shifflett agreed with this while adding that he was thankful it worked. The couple later reconnected with the unidentified patient, and his wife told them his health had improved. 

Isn't it heroic that Emily Gaines and Daniel Shifflett were able to save the dying man? Have you ever been in a dire situation? How were you able to get out of it? Let us know, and feel free to pass this inspiring piece to others.