An eight-year-old girl died after suffering a medical emergency aboard a commercial flight … she was on flight with her her parents Whitney and Dan and her older brother Evan.
WHAT HAPPENED?
SkyWest Flight 5121, which operated in partnership with United Airlines, departed from Joplin, Missouri, on Thursday at 6am and was headed to Chicago when it diverted to Peoria, Illinois, about 45 minutes after take off, according to officials.
The girl, Sydney Weston became ill and then unresponsive and the flight was forced to make an emergency landing.Â
‘Her family immediately notified the flight personnel of her condition, and they began rapidly rendering aid,’ the coroner said.
SHE COULDN’T BE SAVED
First-responders met the little angel at the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport after the plane landed but the girl was not breathing and had no pulse, according to the coroner’s office.
Sydney was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead just after 8am, despite ‘aggressive efforts’ to revive her.
TRIBUTE
Her maternal grandmother Teri Carlson posted a tribute on Facebook, where people have been leaving their condolences.
One person said: ‘She was such a treasure… it just not real yet. I don’t know that it ever will be. My Lov and hugs are with you all.’
Another person added: ‘What a beautiful little light. My heart is so broken for you and her family.’
