Two Kerala nurses save fellow passenger’s life on board Air Arabia flight

Two nurses from Kerala, travelling to Abu Dhabi from Kochi on their first international flight, saved the life of a fellow passenger after he suffered a cardiac arrest twenty minutes into the journey, local media reported.

Abhijith Jees, 26, from Wayanad, and Ajeesh Nelson, 29, from Chengannur, on the way to join their new job in the UAE on Air Arabia flight 3L128, noticed a man, also from Kerala, gasping for air, Gulf News reported on Wednesday.

The duo quickly rushed to his aid and performed two rounds of CPR, stabilising the passenger until he regained a pulse and began breathing again, the report added.

“I checked his pulse, but there was none. I knew he was in cardiac arrest,” Abhijith said. “I immediately started CPR and alerted the crew,” the report quoted Abhijit as saying.

A doctor on board, Dr Arif Abdul Khadir, also helped the duo in stabilising the patient. He started IV fluids and monitored his vitals for the remaining flight, Khaleej Times reported.

“When I saw him move, I felt a deep sense of relief,” Gulf News quoted Abhijith as saying. “It reminded me that we carry our responsibility wherever we go,” he added.

The duo quietly continued to their new workplace after landing without mentioning the incident to anyone. However, the story later emerged through a fellow traveller, the report said.

The passenger saved by the duo was reported stable after receiving treatment from the airport medical team. His family expressed heartfelt gratitude to the two heroes, the report said.

“They were strangers, yet they gave our loved one another chance at life. Their kindness and courage will always stay in our prayers,” the report quoted them as saying.