All sorts of calamities have been happening in the skies lately. Unruly passengers, near-misses, you name it. However, this particular incident proved sadly fatal for one individual. Per the New York Post, a young man who died on a flight headed from Texas to LAX on Friday has been identified. He is Rain McMillan Walmsey, age 22. He was traveling on Southwest Airlines Flight 958. Per the outlet, "According to the medical examiner's office, the case remains open and the cause of death is deferred." An investigation into what went so wrong and took Walmsey's life is ongoing.
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What Reportedly Occurred on the Plane
That flight originated in Dallas. Walmsey had a medical emergency of some kind. He was unresponsive, per the Post. Passengers and crew jumped in and did what they could, including administering CPR until the plane could land. When it did, emergency personnel stepped in. Tragically though, Rain McMillan Walmsey could not be revived. He was then pronounced deceased from circumstances that are not clear at this time.
Other Serious Medical Emergencies Have Taken Place on Planes
Unfortunately, other passengers on commercial flights have also had serious medical crises in the air. Per WFIN.com, a little more than two years ago, an American passenger passed away after what proved to be a fatal medical emergency while on "a Fiji Airways flight bound for San Francisco."
Also during June of 2024, Sydney Weston, an eight-year-old youngster, "became ill and unresponsive" on a SkyWest flight. It was diverted to Peoria. Additionally, Barbars Dipoli, a woman from Kansas, passed away on an Air France flight. It was going to Boston from Paris. She seemed to have experienced a medical issue. Dipoli was 53 years old.
Medical Emergencies in the Air Are Generally Pretty Uncommon
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Medical emergencies occur on approximately 1 of every 604 commercial flights...The death rate for medical emergencies on commercial flights is approximately 0.3%."
In only 10% of onboard medical emergencies do planes need to be diverted from their intended destination, per the CDC. That happens most often when the issue is "cardiac arrest, cardiac symptoms (e.g., chest pain), obstetric or gynecologic issues, or possible stroke."
