Claudia Byatt
Travel Trouble

24-year-old flight attendant dies as plane lands

A flight attendant who died suddenly when her plane landed shared how much she “loved her job” in a final Instagram post.

Greta Dyrmishi, 24, was a cabin crew member for Air Albania and was travelling from Tirana, the Albanian capital, to Essex in the UK when she suddenly fainted on the tarmac.

Paramedics arrived on the scene, giving CPR after reports of a woman being seriously ill, but unfortunately, they were unable to save her.

A post-mortem found that the Ms Dyrmishi had died from “sudden adult death syndrome”.

The 24-year-old, who was very active on Instagram and regularly posted about her travels, shared an aerial view of city lights at night, paired with the words, “That’s why I love my job.”

She shared a clip from a plane window, roughly nine weeks before she passed away, showcasing the ocean, buildings and countryside.

Ms Dyrmishi also shared footage on Instagram where she was seen enjoying a night out with co-workers.

Essex Coroner’s Court was informed the young woman was given basic first aid on the tarmac when she fainted.

“Ten minutes later there was no pulse and CPR commenced. Paramedics treated her and confirmed she had passed away,” Michelle Brown, area coroner for Essex, said.

“A post-mortem found her cause of death to be sudden adult death syndrome.”

According to the British Heart Foundation, Sudden Adult Death syndrome, also referred to as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), is “when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, but the cause of the cardiac arrest can’t be detected.

The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia revealed SADS is one of the biggest causes of death for Australians under 50 and is five times more likely to affect men.

“The primary cause of SCD in adults 35 and over is coronary heart disease. In younger people under 35, it is congenital heart conditions and heart rhythm disorders,” it says on its site.

Ms Brown stated at the time of the incident that Ms Dyrmishi was at the front by the doors on the plane at Stansted Airport.

“This is suitable for a documentary inquest in due course,” she said.

At the time of her death, Air Albania issued a statement that said, “On December 21, after disembarking the passengers from our flight to London, one of our cabin crew Greta Dyrmishi had a heart attack.

“Even after all medical assistance was provided immediately, we still lost her.

“She was taken to the hospital in London, and procedures are being followed.

“From the first moments, Air Albania contacted her family, and we continue to be close to them in these difficult moments.

“In respect to Greta and her family, we decided to share the news with the public at the appropriate time.

“We will always remember Greta as a passionate professional, an excellent co-worker, and a great friend to all of us. May God mercy her and give peace to the family. Air Albania will continue to be with her family.”

Image credit: Instagram

Tags:
Travel, Death, SADS, Cardiac arrest