Flight headed to Austin redirected back to Las Vegas after man went into cardiac arrest

AUSTIN, Texas - A flight headed to Austin was redirected back to Las Vegas after a passenger went into a full cardiac pulmonary arrest.

"All of a sudden, one of the flight attendants came sprinting from the front galley down to the back galley, and you could tell something was desperately wrong," says maternal and fetal medicine Dr. David Berry.

On Sunday, Oct. 29, Flight 3025 departed Harry Reed International airport in Las Vegas in route to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Within minutes of takeoff, flight attendants called for assistance with an emergency.

"We had a 46-year-old gentleman in the backseat of the plane that was in full cardiac pulmonary arrest, he had stop breathing and his heart had stopped," says Dr. Berry.

Dr. Berry said he, another physician, and a nurse on board sprang into action.

"I actually had on me in my possession a mask, which is a rescue mask, and Narcan. Narcan is the reversal agent to reverse any sort of Narcotic overdoses and fentanyl overdoses," says Dr. Berry.

He says the Narcan had no effect. So, the passenger was then given CPR and was connected to a defibrillator.

"Everybody cleared, we examined the rhythm, it shocked his heart once, we continued CPR for another 2 minutes," said Dr. Berry.

Dr. Berry says the lifesaving procedure went on for several minutes before the passenger gained a pulse.

"He was breathing and talking and aware of what was going on," he said.

The doctor requested the pilot to return to the Las Vegas airport where an emergency landing was made.

"We actually had a little prayer right there because I know God gave him a second chance," said Dr. Berry.

Dr. Berry says once the man's blood pressure stabilized, the team assisted EMS in placing him in a transport chair, and he was taken to a local hospital.

"He had some cardiac issues before some heart issues before, but this was a team effort from everybody on the plane, from having a defibrillator device there to the nurses to the passengers to other good Samaritans," said Dr. Berry.