A Turkish Airlines flight en route from Istanbul to Mexico City was diverted to Houston after a passenger suffered a stroke mid-flight. The quick actions of an onboard doctor and the decision to reroute the plane potentially saved the woman's life.
The incident, reported by ABC 13 Eyewitness News, occurred on May 23. Maricela Hernandez Quezada collapsed while the flight was over the Atlantic Ocean. A doctor onboard recognized her symptoms as those of a stroke and administered oxygen before advising the flight crew to divert to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took off from Istanbul at 02:20 UTC+03, slightly behind schedule, and was expected in Mexico City at 07:57 CDT. After the diversion, it landed in Houston at 06:40 CDT following a journey of over 12 hours.