NEW YORK — American Airlines defended its staff as professional and its equipment as sound Monday after a swift review of a passenger’s in-flight death, despite her family’s claims that the crew ignored her pleas until it was too late.
Carine Desir, 44, was pronounced dead Friday on a nearly full Haiti-to-New York flight by a pediatrician who said he tried to use the plane’s defibrillator on her as she faded, but her pulse was already too weak for it to work.
The doctor, Joel Shulkin, was one of several medical professionals who stepped in after flight attendants asked if any were on board. Shulkin said through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, that two emergency medical technicians performed CPR on Desir, a diabetic.
Desir had complained of not feeling well and being thirsty after she ate a meal on the flight home from Port- au- Prince to John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was with her and her brother. A flight attendant brought water to her, he said.
A few minutes later, Desir, herself a nurse, said she was having trouble breathing and asked for oxygen, Oliver said. But a flight attendant twice refused her request for oxygen, Oliver said.
Airline spokesman Charley Wilson said Desir’s cousin flagged down a flight attendant and said Desir had diabetes and needed oxygen.
“The flight attendant responded, ‘OK, but we usually don’t need to treat diabetes with oxygen, but let me check anyway and get back to you,’ ” Wilson said.
The employee spoke with another flight attendant, and both went to Desir within three minutes with oxygen, Wilson said.
Oliver said he asked for the plane to land “so I can get her to a hospital,” and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. During that time, Desir collapsed and died, Oliver said.
