Narrative:

We were holding at fak VOR when we got lga ATIS which stated winds were 260 degrees at 35 KTS gusting to 45 KTS, with braking action in effect. The winds were now gusting to 48 KTS from 260 degrees. We decided to divert. During phone patch, dispatch advised us to go to bwi. After landing, we were told there were no gates and would have to hold in the pad with 4 other diverted airline flts. While awaiting additional fuel and flight release, I was informed by flight attendants that we had an elderly passenger traveling alone that had a brain seizure and was overdue for her medicine, which was in her bag in belly of aircraft. I notified bwi operations of the situation. They said they would send a van out to search for bag. After 10 mins, no van. I was again told the van was on its way. By this time the lady was 30 mins overdue for her medicine. I advised flight attendants to monitor her closely. During this whole time, I was in contact with dispatch on my cell phone, keeping them up to speed on situation. Each time I called operations, the van was supposed to be on its way. At 1 hour past the time of the passenger's medicine, flight attendants advised me she felt bad. I called for paramedics. I was told to stand by, by operations. We asked for paramedics from ground control. The van finally showed up and found her bag right away. Paramedics arrived at aircraft same time. The passenger was given her medicine and we took off for lga without further incident. It may be noted that we left pbi 4 hours late and landing at bwi made for a very long and difficult flight for the entire crew. All flight attendants did their job in a very professional manner keeping passenger happy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DIVERTED TO BWI DUE WX PROB. DURING GND HOLD AT A PAD SINCE GATES WERE UNAVAILABLE, A PAX EXPLAINED THAT SHE NEEDED MEDICATION AT REGULAR INTERVALS TO PREVENT BRAIN SEIZURES, BUT THAT HER MEDS WERE LOCATED IN HER BAG IN THE CARGO HOLD. CAPT REQUESTED COMPANY SEND A VAN OUT TO RETRIEVE THE BAG, BUT THEY DELAYED AND THE PAX CONDITION WORSENED. CAPT ASKED GROUND TO SEND OUT AN AMBULANCE, WHICH ARRIVED JUST AS THE COMPANY VAN APPEARED AT THE ACFT. COMPANY RETRIEVED THE PAX BAG, SHE TOOK HER MEDICINE, AND THE FLT DEPARTED FOR LGA.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING AT FAK VOR WHEN WE GOT LGA ATIS WHICH STATED WINDS WERE 260 DEGS AT 35 KTS GUSTING TO 45 KTS, WITH BRAKING ACTION IN EFFECT. THE WINDS WERE NOW GUSTING TO 48 KTS FROM 260 DEGS. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT. DURING PHONE PATCH, DISPATCH ADVISED US TO GO TO BWI. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO GATES AND WOULD HAVE TO HOLD IN THE PAD WITH 4 OTHER DIVERTED AIRLINE FLTS. WHILE AWAITING ADDITIONAL FUEL AND FLT RELEASE, I WAS INFORMED BY FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE HAD AN ELDERLY PAX TRAVELING ALONE THAT HAD A BRAIN SEIZURE AND WAS OVERDUE FOR HER MEDICINE, WHICH WAS IN HER BAG IN BELLY OF ACFT. I NOTIFIED BWI OPS OF THE SIT. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND A VAN OUT TO SEARCH FOR BAG. AFTER 10 MINS, NO VAN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THE VAN WAS ON ITS WAY. BY THIS TIME THE LADY WAS 30 MINS OVERDUE FOR HER MEDICINE. I ADVISED FLT ATTENDANTS TO MONITOR HER CLOSELY. DURING THIS WHOLE TIME, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH DISPATCH ON MY CELL PHONE, KEEPING THEM UP TO SPD ON SIT. EACH TIME I CALLED OPS, THE VAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON ITS WAY. AT 1 HR PAST THE TIME OF THE PAX'S MEDICINE, FLT ATTENDANTS ADVISED ME SHE FELT BAD. I CALLED FOR PARAMEDICS. I WAS TOLD TO STAND BY, BY OPS. WE ASKED FOR PARAMEDICS FROM GND CTL. THE VAN FINALLY SHOWED UP AND FOUND HER BAG RIGHT AWAY. PARAMEDICS ARRIVED AT ACFT SAME TIME. THE PAX WAS GIVEN HER MEDICINE AND WE TOOK OFF FOR LGA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IT MAY BE NOTED THAT WE LEFT PBI 4 HRS LATE AND LNDG AT BWI MADE FOR A VERY LONG AND DIFFICULT FLT FOR THE ENTIRE CREW. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS DID THEIR JOB IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER KEEPING PAX HAPPY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.