By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
LAKE COUNTY, Wis. — Lake Country Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Matthew Haerter was on a Southwest flight to Arizona when he answered a call to help a passenger who lost consciousness.
Midway through the flight, a passenger lost consciousness. Haerter, who was at the back of the plane, mentioned that the crew was uncertain whether the man was still breathing, FOX6 reported.
“It would have been something that probably could have gone a different direction if the individual had not been treated in the way they were,” Haerter said.
Haerter mentioned that he administered an IV to the man using medical supplies available on the Southwest flight. He also noted that the pilot considered making an emergency landing. Haerter stayed by the man’s side for another two hours until the plane landed in Arizona, where emergency crews were ready and waiting at the gate.
In an ironic twist, once Haerter had a moment to check his phone, he discovered an email congratulating him on his 30-year anniversary as a paramedic.