By Erika Hernandez
A Hispanic woman identified as María Yolanda Guerrero Medina, 72, lost her life while traveling aboard Volaris flight 7771 from Chicago Midway International Airport to Customary Francisco Mujica International Airport in Morelia, Mexico, last Saturday. The passenger was traveling accompanied by her husband.
According to local media such as Univision and the newspaper El Norte, the woman had an approximately 12-year history of kidney failure and diabetesalthough the precise details about the medical emergency that caused his death have not yet been clarified.
Emergency landing in Monterrey
The passenger, originally from Morelia, Mexico, began to show a rapid deterioration in her health when the aircraft entered Mexican airspace, less than two hours after taking off at 3:13 pm. Other passengers alerted the crew, who informed the captain. He requested authorization for an unscheduled landing.
The plane landed at the Monterrey International Airport around 5:30 pm, where non-public medical and security personnel were already prepared to receive the passenger. Upon arrival, emergency services confirmed that the woman had no vital signs and the preliminary report points to natural causes of death.
The incident caused intense mobilization in the airport terminal, while authorities carried out emergency protocols.
So that the other passengers could continue their trip to Morelia, Volaris replaced the affected plane with another aircraft. The airline and airport have been contacted for comment on the case.
Although in-flight deaths are rare, a 2023 study indicated that the mortality rate in medical emergencies on board is 0.21 per million passengers. Among 2.2 billion travelers in 2021, approximately 460 deaths were recorded during international flights, with the most common causes being pulmonary embolisms, cardiac arrests and respiratory problems.
Management of deaths on board
The procedure for a mid-flight death ensures respect and privacy. Once the plane has landed and the passengers have disembarked, airport non-public and a coroner are in charge of removing the body in a special bag through an emergency exit, minimizing the impact on other travelers.
Former crewmembers consulted point out that the situation is highly stressful and can be traumatic for the crew and passengers, especially when the victim is young, although in this case the passenger is an older person with a known medical history.
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