Boyfriend thought partner was 'joking' as she fell ill and died on flight
A passenger on board a plane when a healthy mum-of-two mysteriously died has recalled the terrifying moment her "eyes rolled back inside her head."
Stefanie Smith was onboard an American Airlines flight from the Dominican Republic to North Carolina on February 28 with her boyfriend when she suddenly fell fatally ill. The unnamed boyfriend had just spent five days on holiday together and was sitting next to Stefanie on the fateful flight.
Her friend, Maria Yannotti, who was also on the trip but travelled separately, said: "Her boyfriend said she was sitting in the seat beside him and he looked over at her, her head was kind of tilted back in her seat, her eyes were kind of rolled in the back and he said he just thought she was making fun of him, like they normally do, just joking around. Then she started convulsing."
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The pair had just spent five days on holiday (Facebook)A doctor and nurse on board the plane administered CPR to the 41-year-old before the plane was diverted to the Turks and Caicos islands. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but she was pronounced dead. The 41-year-old's family weren't aware of any health problems she may have suffered with and are in the dark as to what happened.
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"She loves going to the gym every day, even while we were in the Dominican. She made it a point to get up every morning to go to the gym and run on the beach", Yanotti told ABC News. Fellow passengers said she was chatting happily as she boarded the flight, with one person saying they "shared a laugh" with her as they boarded.
Tributes were paid to the X-ray techinican (Kristina Swinney/Facebook)Stefanie's devastated family have said they are planning to send their own doctor to the Caribbean to conduct an autopsy before her body is brought back to the US for a funeral. Providenciales International Airport, and The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands released statements on their Facebook page regarding the tragic incident.
They wrote: "At 6.12pm, the Police Control Room received a call from the Air Traffic Control Tower requesting medical assistance for a 41-year-old female, who at the time was receiving Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A medical team, along with police units, were dispatched, and the patient was transported to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she died."
Stefanie's sister-in-law Stephanie Quinn said she was the only girl out of five siblings and was a mother to two "beautiful children with big hearts and straight A's". She added: "We are in disbelief and our hearts are broken."
The mum leaves behind two teenagers (Kristi Spratt/GoFundMe)Kristina Swinney, worked with the mum at a local hospital where she was an X-ray technician, said the news has "shattered" the department. She wrote on social media: “I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt heartache like this. My days at work will forever be changed."
Adding; "Looking to my left today, seeing you gon, knowing you aren't coming back as left me a mess, Stef. The news today has shattered us."
Kristina added the technician was "the energy of work" at the hospital. Writing: "Today we talked about how you wouldn't let anyone have a bad day, you weren't having any part of it [...] I will miss the 'Hi honey"' morning greeting, you playing with my hair, hearing about the latest dateline story, our country karaoke, shots of Diet Coke and sticking my cold hands down your hot back. You were the energy of work."
A GoFundMe appeal has been set up to help raise money for her two teenage children and as of Thursday morning, a staggering £69,000 has been raised so far, including from passengers who were onboard the flight. "I didn't know Stefanie but I was in the row in front of her,' wrote Erika Remillard-Hagen. "When I was 41 my own two children were the same age hers are. My heart breaks for her family."
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