Nurse Leaving for Vacation Saves Passenger’s Life After Airway Blockage on Plane

Nurse Lee Soyoung of Ulsan University Hospital
Saved a Citizen with Emergency First Aid

A nurse who was leaving for vacation saved a citizen's life with emergency first aid.

On the 13th, Ulsan University Hospital and the Ulsan Fire Department announced that a nurse from Ulsan University Hospital saved the life of a passenger who suddenly lost consciousness and suffered severe convulsions on board an aircraft before takeoff by administering emergency treatment.

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The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. on the 10th on an aircraft that was preparing for takeoff on the runway at Ulsan Airport. An emergency call was received via 119 reporting that one of the passengers on board was having a seizure. The passenger was in a critical situation in which their life could have been at risk, as their airway became obstructed when their tongue rolled back during convulsions.

At that moment, a woman seated across the aisle rushed over without hesitation to check the patient's condition. After instructing another passenger to call 119, she secured the patient's airway while monitoring their condition, then worked together with the flight attendants who arrived shortly afterward to lay the patient down and administer emergency first aid. She turned out to be Lee Soyoung (31), a sixth-year nurse at Ulsan University Hospital who happened to be on the same flight.

Thanks to Lee's quick response, the patient soon regained breathing and was transported by ambulance, which had arrived at the scene, to a hospital, where they received treatment without incident. It is reported that when passengers in the cabin expressed their gratitude at the time, she quietly returned to her seat, saying she had only done what was natural to do.

The nurse stated that she would not hesitate to step forward again if a similar situation were to occur.