Nurse saves baby who stopped breathing during flight
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Twitter / @iancassette_wx
A nurse onboard a flight has been applauded as a 'hero' after saving the life of a newborn child.
The infant reportedly stopped breathing and her lips went purple on the flight to Orlando, Florida with nurse Tamara Panzino having to step in.
The terrifying incident was seen first hand three rows back by Ian Cassette, a meteorologist for Fox 35 in Orlando. Watch below:
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Cassette recorded the aftermath of the incident, where you can see the baby smiling in her father's arms as all the passengers cheer in relief.
In the tweet, Cassette wrote: "On my flight back from Pittsburgh to Orlando, a baby stopped breathing three rows ahead of me.
"Thankfully a nurse (Tamara Panzino) was able to get the baby to breathe again."
Cassette spoke to the parents of the baby off camera after the plane had landed safety.
In a follow-up tweet, he added: "The parents of three-month-old Anjelé were terrified and had never experienced this before. They praised the positive energy of the plane and the heroic actions of Tamara for saving her."
There was a special mention for the airline staff from Cassette, too: "Also the flight attendants should be commended for their quick action for helping as well!"
The meteorologist added that the emergency services met the family when the flight landed in Orlando, but currently there is no cause for why the baby stopped breathing.
Tamara Panzino, the nurse who saved Anjelé's life, said she was alerted to the baby experiencing difficulties around 30 minutes into the flight.
She jumped to the infant's rescue by massaging her chest and legs and soon after, Anjelé started to breath again.
Speaking to Fox, Panzino said: "When you have to step forward and do what’s right, you do it. It was just a happy story, and it made me feel really good."
In a statement provided to Fox 35 following the incident, Spirit Airlines said: "We’re currently gathering information to learn more. We thank our crew and guest for the quick response.
"Our Flight Attendants are trained to respond to medical emergencies onboard and utilize several resources, including communicating with our designated on-call medical professionals on the ground, using onboard medical kits, and receiving assistance from credentialed medical professionals traveling on the flight."
I think it is safe to say passengers on this flight won't be forgetting it in a hurry.