A 22-year-old passenger who experienced a medical emergency on a Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles died from the effects of 7-Hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine (7-OH), the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office has determined. The death was ruled an accident.
The passenger, Rain McMillen Walmsley, suffered the medical emergency on Southwest Flight 958 on August 7. After the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport, he was transported to a hospital where CPR was unsuccessful. Southwest Airlines had previously stated that a passenger experienced a "medical incident" during the flight.
7-OH is described as a concentrated, opioid-like product derived from the kratom plant. While sometimes marketed as kratom, it is a synthetic substance with significantly higher levels of opioid-active alkaloids. Kratom products can be purchased online, in convenience stores, and smoke shops, and their legality varies across states and municipalities as it is not federally controlled.
Walmsley's mother, Heather McMillen, told the Vashon Beachcomber that her son appeared to have a seizure before losing consciousness while traveling to visit family. She remembered him as a "little spark plug," describing him as "beautiful and really smart and also really kind."
Walmsley, who grew up in Vashon, Washington, graduated with a journalism degree from Hunter College in New York City in May.
The dangers associated with kratom have gained national attention following several young deaths linked to the substance. Earlier this year, two students at the University of Mississippi, 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton and 20-year-old Robert Strang, died in separate incidents. Toxicology reports in their cases found mitragynine, the primary active compound in kratom, along with potent opioid compounds MGM-15 and MGPI. Following these deaths, two smoke shop employees were arrested on charges related to the alleged sale of kratom products to the students.
Legislatures in several states, including Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia, are considering or have proposed bans on kratom in response to these incidents. Kratom is often marketed as a stimulant, an anxiety reducer, or a natural remedy for pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction.