Carine Desir, 44, of Brooklyn, returning home to New York from Haiti collapsed and died aboard the American Airlines Flight 896 on Friday after pleas to ask oxygen tank were reportedly turned down.Carine Desir, who was returning home to Brooklyn, fell ill on a Friday flight from Haiti, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was traveling with her and her brother, Joel Desir.According to Kansascity.com reader DMK, Oxygen bottles (full) are required safety equipment on board every flight. They are there for decompression situation which would allow the Flight Attendants to move about the aircraft and see to the passengers. That aircraft should not have been allowed to go airborne with empty tanks. American Airlines now is definitely in hot waters!Desir asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said Sunday.
Other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated, he said, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty.
Two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty, Oliver said. A nurse also tried CPR, to no avail, Oliver said.
The pilot diverted the flight to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time, Desir died, Oliver said.
Update: Carine Desir, wife of New Yorker Mario Fontus, was a nurse and a mother of two, son Dimitry Fontus, 10 and daughter Tatiana Saint-Victor. She completed a mission to Haiti to hand some money to her relatives there, but very tragically, Desir who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, died of heart disease and diabetes onboard American Airlines' Airbus A300-600 jet. Although her cousin claimed that AA's flight attendants slowly responded to her unfitness, AA's spokeman Tim Wagner insisted its employee did nothing wrong.
Update: Below are some excellent health tips from CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, on Surviving an Airline Flight:
The recent story of Carine Desir, a 44-year-old woman who died on an American Airlines flight from Haiti to New York, has a lot of people thinking: Could that happen to me? Well, it could. But it's not likely and there's no reason to panic.
But what should you be thinking about before you get on an airplane? There are times when you should rethink flying, but it's not always a simple decision. Here's how flying is most likely to affect your health and some things to think about when you're deciding to fly or not to fly.
First off, it is worth noting that two important things happen on a plane shortly after takeoff. One has to do with pressure. If you are on a small plane that flies below 10,000 feet, the plane may not be pressurized. Larger planes that fly 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the earth will be pressurized, but because of the differential, the cabin altitude will still feel like you are about 8,000 feet in the air. Most people can tolerate this just fine. The oxygenation is also slightly lower in airline cabins, again not a noticeable difference for most people.
Still, there are people who are at most risk from these changes. People who have sinusitis, pneumonia, other respiratory illnesses as well as ear problems probably shouldn't fly and will feel pretty miserable if they do, because of those pressure changes. The cavities will expand and may cause pressure and pain.
Also, if you have had recent abdominal surgery, eye, ear or face surgery, dental work such as an abscess repair, you should stay grounded. Anyone who's had a recent concussion or colonoscopy should also wait at least a day before taking to the air. Obviously, a communicable disease such as TB (like Andrew Speaker had) should preclude you from flying. Another tip: Let's say you're out skiing and break an ankle or leg. Tell your doctor you want a soft cast or splint if you are going to be on a plane. The swelling can be awful.
There are some things you should always do on planes. Drink plenty of water and lay off the alcoholic drinks. While blood clots in the legs have not been shown to be caused by cabin conditions, they can be caused by simply sitting for long periods of time, especially with your legs crossed. Get up and walk around.