Narrative:

Prior to boarding, passenger was engaged in a conversation with passenger service agent in the jet bridge. Flight attendants #3 and #5 asked if passenger was able to continue on the flight. Agent responded that he was alright to fly. We agreed that we would keep an eye on passenger during the flight. Approximately 45 mins into flight, flight attendant #3 came up to the first class galley to tell us passenger was having a seizure. Flight attendant #5 paged for md and informed the cockpit while I retrieved aed. Flight attendant #2 retrieved emergency medical kit. As I approached aisle, flight attendants #3 and #5 were placing passenger on the floor. Flight attendants administered oxygen. I went back to first class galley to get sugar and sugar water, which I have used along with oxygen for similar sits on many flts in the past. After a few mins, passenger became responsive and was helped back to his seat. I and other flight attendants continued with service while medical persons and 2 flight attendants stayed with passenger. Informed cockpit. Approximately 15 mins later, passenger went into another seizure and again became unresponsive. (Passenger was placed on floor.) I called cockpit to obtain ETA to ZZZ1 and ETA to alternate if needed. ZZZ1 was 1 - 1 1/2 hours away. I went back to ask md if he felt passenger would be alright to continue on for next 1 hour 30 mins. Md said he could be stabilized. I informed cockpit and continued to assist flight attendant #5 with the service. Flight attendants in main cabin also continued their service, answering concerned passenger questions. Mins later, passenger had another seizure. Flight attendant #3 asked me for the enhanced medical kit and resuscitation bag. Flight attendants assisted medical personnel in several procedures to help passenger, including cpr. I contacted cockpit to divert. Flight attendants not assisting in the emergency prepared cabin for landing. 2 or 3 flight attendants assisted medical personnel while we descended so the rest of us decided that the remaining 4 of us would each man a set of exit doors. Upon arrival in ZZZZ, paramedics boarded to aid passenger. After several mins, the paramedics declared the passenger deceased. The passenger was covered with a blanket provided by paramedics and left in the aisle while the discussion between myself, our captain, and the ZZZZ station manager for company took place on what to do now with the passenger's remains. Were met with difficult airport officials. The ZZZZ officials were very uncooperative. An aggravating situation that never should have taken place with an estimated 2 hours to resolve. I spoke with the company representative and company at the start, to find out what the procedures are for our situation. Passenger were also in disbelief as for the length of time it took to remove the deceased passenger and depart for ZZZ1. Deceased passenger was placed in a body bag and loaded in the cargo compartment. Flight attendant #4 and I collected the used medical equipment, placed all used medical supplies in bio bag, placed all soiled blankets, pillows and seat cushions in blue galley bag. Everything went into empty first class closet. After arrival ZZZ1, we were debriefed by company mgrs and police homicide. During emergency, md asked if anyone had a valium and one of the passenger provided 1 pill. Another passenger reported he had had several conversations with the now deceased passenger prior to boarding the flight. Informed us that he witnessed the deceased inhaling cocaine in airport bathroom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE RPTED ON THE DEATH OF A PAX DURING A FLT TO ZZZ1, WITH A DIVERSION TO ZZZZ WHERE AUTHS WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE DECEASEDS BODY.

Narrative: PRIOR TO BOARDING, PAX WAS ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION WITH PAX SVC AGENT IN THE JET BRIDGE. FLT ATTENDANTS #3 AND #5 ASKED IF PAX WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON THE FLT. AGENT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS ALRIGHT TO FLY. WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON PAX DURING THE FLT. APPROX 45 MINS INTO FLT, FLT ATTENDANT #3 CAME UP TO THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY TO TELL US PAX WAS HAVING A SEIZURE. FLT ATTENDANT #5 PAGED FOR MD AND INFORMED THE COCKPIT WHILE I RETRIEVED AED. FLT ATTENDANT #2 RETRIEVED EMER MEDICAL KIT. AS I APCHED AISLE, FLT ATTENDANTS #3 AND #5 WERE PLACING PAX ON THE FLOOR. FLT ATTENDANTS ADMINISTERED OXYGEN. I WENT BACK TO FIRST CLASS GALLEY TO GET SUGAR AND SUGAR WATER, WHICH I HAVE USED ALONG WITH OXYGEN FOR SIMILAR SITS ON MANY FLTS IN THE PAST. AFTER A FEW MINS, PAX BECAME RESPONSIVE AND WAS HELPED BACK TO HIS SEAT. I AND OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS CONTINUED WITH SVC WHILE MEDICAL PERSONS AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS STAYED WITH PAX. INFORMED COCKPIT. APPROX 15 MINS LATER, PAX WENT INTO ANOTHER SEIZURE AND AGAIN BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. (PAX WAS PLACED ON FLOOR.) I CALLED COCKPIT TO OBTAIN ETA TO ZZZ1 AND ETA TO ALTERNATE IF NEEDED. ZZZ1 WAS 1 - 1 1/2 HRS AWAY. I WENT BACK TO ASK MD IF HE FELT PAX WOULD BE ALRIGHT TO CONTINUE ON FOR NEXT 1 HR 30 MINS. MD SAID HE COULD BE STABILIZED. I INFORMED COCKPIT AND CONTINUED TO ASSIST FLT ATTENDANT #5 WITH THE SVC. FLT ATTENDANTS IN MAIN CABIN ALSO CONTINUED THEIR SVC, ANSWERING CONCERNED PAX QUESTIONS. MINS LATER, PAX HAD ANOTHER SEIZURE. FLT ATTENDANT #3 ASKED ME FOR THE ENHANCED MEDICAL KIT AND RESUSCITATION BAG. FLT ATTENDANTS ASSISTED MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN SEVERAL PROCS TO HELP PAX, INCLUDING CPR. I CONTACTED COCKPIT TO DIVERT. FLT ATTENDANTS NOT ASSISTING IN THE EMER PREPARED CABIN FOR LNDG. 2 OR 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ASSISTED MEDICAL PERSONNEL WHILE WE DSNDED SO THE REST OF US DECIDED THAT THE REMAINING 4 OF US WOULD EACH MAN A SET OF EXIT DOORS. UPON ARR IN ZZZZ, PARAMEDICS BOARDED TO AID PAX. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, THE PARAMEDICS DECLARED THE PAX DECEASED. THE PAX WAS COVERED WITH A BLANKET PROVIDED BY PARAMEDICS AND LEFT IN THE AISLE WHILE THE DISCUSSION BTWN MYSELF, OUR CAPT, AND THE ZZZZ STATION MGR FOR COMPANY TOOK PLACE ON WHAT TO DO NOW WITH THE PAX'S REMAINS. WERE MET WITH DIFFICULT ARPT OFFICIALS. THE ZZZZ OFFICIALS WERE VERY UNCOOPERATIVE. AN AGGRAVATING SIT THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH AN ESTIMATED 2 HRS TO RESOLVE. I SPOKE WITH THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE AND COMPANY AT THE START, TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROCS ARE FOR OUR SIT. PAX WERE ALSO IN DISBELIEF AS FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK TO REMOVE THE DECEASED PAX AND DEPART FOR ZZZ1. DECEASED PAX WAS PLACED IN A BODY BAG AND LOADED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. FLT ATTENDANT #4 AND I COLLECTED THE USED MEDICAL EQUIP, PLACED ALL USED MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN BIO BAG, PLACED ALL SOILED BLANKETS, PILLOWS AND SEAT CUSHIONS IN BLUE GALLEY BAG. EVERYTHING WENT INTO EMPTY FIRST CLASS CLOSET. AFTER ARR ZZZ1, WE WERE DEBRIEFED BY COMPANY MGRS AND POLICE HOMICIDE. DURING EMER, MD ASKED IF ANYONE HAD A VALIUM AND ONE OF THE PAX PROVIDED 1 PILL. ANOTHER PAX RPTED HE HAD HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NOW DECEASED PAX PRIOR TO BOARDING THE FLT. INFORMED US THAT HE WITNESSED THE DECEASED INHALING COCAINE IN ARPT BATHROOM.

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.