Off-duty paramedic saves suicidal man on plane

AN OFF-DUTY paramedic has saved a man who allegedly tried to take his own life in the lavatory of a aircraft.

Gareth Lines, 36, was travelling from Thailand to Heathrow when he heard a commotion at the back of the Eva Air flight. He initially thought a fellow passenger had collapsed.

He said: “I just thought, ‘what is going on?’ – it looked like someone had collapsed, but it turned out to be worse than I’d thought and his heart had stopped. This gentleman had tried to end his life and the plane crew and I dragged him out into the kitchen area.”

Mr Lines, from Portsmouth, used his medical training to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques. The paramedic, who had visited Thailand for a stag do, said the airliner had some medical equipment onboard including an automatic defibrillator and portable oxygen supplies.

Mr Lines continued: “The guy was in cardiac arrest for 30 minutes then 15 minutes after[wards] the London ambulance crew arrived.

“They managed to get him to hospital and his heart was beating again. Within 20 to 30 minutes we considered stopping CPR but the guy on the plane was down for a good 30 to 40 minutes – there is no chance he would have made it if he wouldn’t have had CPR.

“Ultimately, that’s what is going to save someone’s life… Without drugs, we couldn’t do much more.”

The paramedic, who has been in the ambulance service for 10 years and a trained paramedic since 2019, said everyone should know CPR.

“Good quality CPR is all that is needed to potentially keep someone alive before the emergency services arrive. I was thankful to have the support of the airline staff, who remained calm.”

An Eva Air spokesman said: “During the descent of Eva Air’s flight to London Heathrow, a passenger was found in one of the bathrooms, where it was suspected he had made a suicide attempt.

“With the assistance of Eva Air’s flight attendants and a medically qualified passenger on board, the affected passenger was immediately given first aid treatment.

“The passenger was transported to hospital for further treatment, and the matter was passed to the police.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”