T&T woman, 85, returning home to live dies on AA plane

(Trinidad Guardian) Shocked passengers on board American Airlines (AA) flight 2703 destined for Trinidad watched on in horror on Friday as medical and cabin crew members tried to save the life of an 85-year-old woman.

The passenger, Nell Cuffie, also known as Helen, despite receiving treatment during the dramatic mid-air medical emergency, died.

The incident occurred after Cuffie went to use the toilet about one hour and 20 minutes before the flight arrived at Piarco International Airport.

The flight departed Miami International Airport at 10.41 am and was scheduled to land at 2.34 pm.

After an extended period in the toilet, the flight attendants opened the door and found Cuffie slumped over the toilet.

Cuffie was travelling with her younger brother Phipps Wilton and his wife Junette.

A passenger on the flight told the T&T Guardian that when Cuffie was found unresponsive, the flight attendants called on passengers with medical training to assist.

Several people came forward including CEO of the Global Medical Response of T&T Anderson Paul, as well as Sherar Andalcio, Kerdijra Ramoutar and Malisha Kirchren to provide medical care.

“The flight attendants gave her oxygen and used the automated external defibrillator (AED) machine to shock her while CPR was administered, but the woman did not budge,” the passenger recalled.

“That’s when we started to get scared and uneasy. We were all looking on in horror.”

The Boeing 737 plane was filled with passengers many of whom were locals returning home.

The pilot then made an announcement that he would have to divert the flight to St Kitts in order for Cuffie to obtain urgent medical attention.

Passengers were also advised not to use the rear toilet where Cuffie was being attended to.

“The flight attendant wrote out numbers on the beverage tissues which they handed out to passenger as a numbering system to use the toilet in front of the plane,” the passenger said.

The attendants began calling the numbers in an ascending order over the PA system.