Patrick McGee, 77, was on a Southwest flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Phoenix, Arizona, on July 29 when he suffered a heart attack. He blacked out during the flight and awoke in an ambulance, later learning his heart had stopped.
Lining the aisle, retired critical care nurse Lora Holton immediately began CPR on McGee. Another nurse on board, Kaitlyn Louchheim, then took over and performed deep chest compressions. To provide extra weight and pressure, Louchheim sat on McGee's chest as he lay in the plane's narrow aisle.
"I was thinking that the aisles are really, really skinny and that I'm going to have to sit on top of this poor man and use all of my weight but if this doesn't happen now and it's not effective, then this isn't going to work," Louchheim told KYMA.
Her actions proved effective, and McGee began breathing again within minutes. "Everyone was so excited, beside ourselves. It was really emotional and then he actually opened his eyes," Holton recounted.
McGee was transported to the Arizona Heart Hospital, where he spent several days recovering. Upon his release, he expressed a strong desire to find the nurse who saved him. "I owe this person a great deal. She brought me back and I have a son, grandkids, wife, brothers and I'm still here with them because of her," McGee told KYMA. "There are no words you can say. I was gone. They said I was dead and brought back."
Following a news report about the incident and McGee's search, Louchheim saw the segment and was able to connect with him. They spoke over the phone, during which McGee called her his "angel."
Louchheim's presence on the flight was a matter of chance. She had initially been scheduled for a later flight to Phoenix for her daughter's birthday but opted for the earlier one when a spot became available. "I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time," she said. "He was meant to have more time."
