HOAX:Ryanair crew treats heart attack with sandwich and cola

[luchtzak]

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1901/reisnieuw ... 0.facebook

A 63 year old passenger suffered from a heart attack inflight, the flight attendant suggested a sandwich and a cola . And they had to pay for it too!

Edit: read this topic: viewtopic.php?p=252904#p252904 apparently it's a HOAX coming back every year!

[Airbus330lover]

Quite normal for FR
The ambulance was not reserverd on the FR-website before boarding !

But wait and see for the real problem !

Never trust the newspapers

[regi]

the reactions in the newspaper are quite strange...
There are so many questions , possebilities that it is unjust to comment on this , except of making a joke.
Just an example: the passenger is said to have suffered a heart attack. But that usually involves other symptons as well, one of them throwing up. Just losing consciousness relates more to a diabetes problem or a stroke ( brain )
So giving somebody some cola is not such a bad idea, if he didn't vomit.

The responses blame the passenger+ daughter because he travelled by air. But did he know he was a heart patient?
No, I think that we don't know enough to start bashing.

[sn26567]

What are the instructions to SN flight attendants in case a passenger suffers a stroke? We know already they will not sell him a sandwich and a coke, but what else?

[cnc]

The responses blame the passenger+ daughter because he travelled by air. But did he know he was a heart patient?

sounds like the family is just after some easy money if you ask me.
crew report said the crew told the nurse/daughter a medical emergency diversion was going te be made but she refused. can't blame crew for not looking for a medicar on arrival if its not that urgent.
you can't expect the crew to pay for the drink and food either can you?

[luchtzak]

Of course the newspaper might have exagerated a bit, we will not know the entire story what exactly happened!

But ... being unconscious is already severe!

[cnc]

Of course the newspaper might have exagerated a bit, we will not know the entire story what exactly happened!

But ... being unconscious is already severe!

"He didn't respond when I tried to shake him. But after I slapped him in the chest, he began breathing again," she said, adding that staff "reacted only when I shouted for a doctor and that he needed oxygen."

[Comet]

In someone elderly, loss of consciousness can be caused by a drop in blood pressure, a stroke will have other symptoms too such as partial facial paralysis, partial limb paralysis, speech problems. If someone loses consciousness they should never be given food or water until they have come round a bit.

[regi]

crew report said the crew told the nurse/daughter a medical emergency diversion was going te be made but she refused.

Since when can a passenger decide about a emergency diversion?
Sean, can you shed some light on this please?

[cnc]

crew report said the crew told the nurse/daughter a medical emergency diversion was going te be made but she refused.

Since when can a passenger decide about a emergency diversion?
Sean, can you shed some light on this please?

if they have a better understanding about the situation than the crew and they say its not necessary you think the crew will just ignore it and do the diversion anyway?

[regi]

that is what I mean: the media articles are not right, or at least partial, and not painting the whole picture.

[earthman]

I wouldn't trust a nurse anyway.

[azingrew]

I think everybody is rushing to conclusion without knowing the facts. It looks as if the passenger fell into a diabetic coma ( from the ouside, it looks like a heart attack). Offering him a sandwish and a coke was the absolute appropriate thing to do. In case of hypoglicemia, you have to take quick sugar immediately ( the coke) and carbohydrates/slow sugar ( the sandwish).
I should know, it happened to me in a street of Rome ( How chic). And was given the exact same thing: coke and sandwich.
So nothing to blame the crew for. However, to charge for the " medicine " was soo Ryanair..

[earthman]

The passenger should get a refund from his medical insurance for the coke & sandwich.

[sean1982]

crew report said the crew told the nurse/daughter a medical emergency diversion was going te be made but she refused.

Since when can a passenger decide about a emergency diversion?
Sean, can you shed some light on this please?

I really rolled my eyes after reading this article as this is clearly a case of a family trying to squeeze some money out of ryanair (instead of the other way around perhaps)
Here is my personal opinion:
Clearly the crew diagnosed this "illness" as low bloodsugar instead of a heart attack. When diagnosing a heart attack we would look for certain symptoms like: grey skin color, nausea, vice-like chest pain, radiating towards the arm, etc.... odly enough being unconcious is not an instant symptom of heart attck, it point to heart failure which are 2 different things.
Secondly, once we have diagnosed a passenger with low blood sugar we would give something to eat and a sugary drink to the passenger. This would be recorded on the paperwork as being used for medical purposes and there is no way in hell crew would charge that! That would mean that passengers with no money would be left to die as they would not be able to afford their "medicine". Ludricous!!
Third: A diversion (for medical reasons) is usually the pursers decision in co-operation with the captain. The purser will make this decision based upon: personal experience of similar cases, doctors/nurse opinion, passengers statements (although these cannot always be trusted as people will lie to get what they want) and other crew thoughts. This will then be discussed with the captain and together they will make a decision.
Fourth, if it is decided that a diversion is not nescessary it will be discussed if an ambulance will be called upon arrival at destination. Usually passengers firmly decline unless they are really ill. Again this will be the pursers decision and he/she can always override the passengers wish not to have one if deemed nesessary.

I think this whole "incident" has been not factual and untrue, blown out of proportion and once again put FR cabin crew in a bad spotlight. I would like to point out that a lowcost airline does not mean lowcost crew!! All FR cabin crew have passed a hard six weeks course (where 25% fail BTW) and have to pass yearly linechecks and recurrent exams. All of us are highly qualified. Any more questions, shoot!

[regi]

Thank you for the swift reply Sean.
As I thought already, the article is not saying all the details or even giving wrong details as if a passenger would be able to enforce or decline an emergency landing.

[Passenger]

I like the discussion about safety onboard, so please all of you: go on with that.

However: do not link it to Ryanair's onboard policy please, because this hamburger story is a hoax.

Just like the story of the Dutch passenger wo had booked a ticket to Sydney, Australia, but ended up in Sydney, Canada. That's also something we reed every two years.

(and to make it clear : I am not a Ryanair fan. Not at all.)

[diminbru]

One of the basic rules of First Aid : do not give drink or food to the victim....and especially do not charge it to the victim if you make that mistake
I have never heard that someone suffering from a heartattack has been cured by feeding him a sandwish and let them drink a coke.
But I guess I'm not allowed to say anything by some members because it's Ryanair. And they will say I'm Ryanair basher !!!

[andorra-airport]

However: do not link it to Ryanair's onboard policy please, because this hamburger story is a hoax.

Just like the story of the Dutch passenger wo had booked a ticket to Sydney, Australia, but ended up in Sydney, Canada.

Yes I remember that one, it did happen though! Here it is in the local Canadian newspaper : http://www.capebretonpost.com/Travel/20 ... g-Sydney/1

Almost happened to me as well. Long time ago, pre-internet. While trying to get a ticket to Panama City, Panama (PTY) , a "blonde" at the local travel-agency booked me a ticket to Panama City in Florida. I saw directly that she made a mistake, but can you imagine if you have no clue about IATA code's etc. Ah well, its nice and warm in Florida too...

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

To go with that,the first flight I want to book to Birmingham UK, was sheduled with BHM instead of BHX,
I didn't book this flight because I noticed strange flightshedules and...the fare mmm..
My brother-in-low finished his flight to Portland,USA somewhere at the westcoast..but his friends where waiting
for a sailing holiday on the eastcoast... he managed to get there with 4 extra flights over JFK-Dallas-Boston-..
Pity he isn't that in for aviation...
Not all 'broodje aap'-stories (cumcumbertime ?),just some easy faults which happens more frequent than
we think/may believe...
On topic,.. I tought ONLY the captain was responsabile for conclusions about diversions, pursers may give advise but the final descision is always for the captain, no? pursers,mm...
Even , pursurs,family,pilots,... in case of any medical issue where there are really some signs of serious life-threating issues NO one will take this responsability to not diverting, I may hope !!!
Pilots,pursurs,do a fine job but are NOT -enough- MEDICAL educated to deal with first aid health issues,
but a real pilot knows this for sure and with no other options they will take the descision to divert .
Only a real doctor, a pax?- can descide it's NOT necessarry to divert..
So, once I was on a LH flight to JNB when there was a real heart attack,we were already on diversion routing as a pax/doc was able to stabilise the patient and ordered the captain to go for JNB instead somewhere in Congo.. at landing the ambulance was ready and the pax was the first pax which left the plane !
Concerning these issues I don't think a full service or a LCC would act different..
We are all humans no?
Nice story to bash FR but I don't believe it.. MoL isn't that bad IMHO..
BTW aren't these issues not covered with the airliner assurance ??

CX-B