North Attleboro Fire Chief, Firefighters Save Man's Life on Plane

NORTH ATTLEBORO — Lifesaving efforts by North Attleboro Fire Chief Christopher Coleman and firefighters prevented a mid-flight tragedy this morning when a man had a medical emergency aboard a plane, according to a release from the department.

On a Southwest flight traveling from Boston's Logan Airport to Chicago Midway, Coleman and several active and retired firefighters on board gave aid to a man suffering from a medical emergency.

Chief Coleman, Capt. George McKinnon, Capt. Josh Langille, Lt. Scott Langille, retired firefighters Jeff Badger and Rich McDonagh, and Foxborough Firefighter Cory Shepardson were alerted to a man in a row behind them who appeared to be having a seizure.

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They quickly began performing CPR on the unresponsive man before administering advanced life support.

The man's pulse returned and he was stabilized for the rest of the flight.

Upon arrival at Midway airport, he was taken to an area hospital.

"The heroic actions of these firefighters today echo our mantra that we are never truly off-duty should any emergency occur," said Deputy Chief Michael Chabot.

"Their swift action and determination, even at 30,000 feet in the air, is a testament to their unwavering preparedness and professionalism."

Coleman and the other firefighters were on the flight traveling to Denver to visit the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs in honor of those who have passed away, including North Attleboro firefighters Chris Cornetta and Jack White.

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