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A Delta Air Lines passenger is claiming that a man died from an overdose on a recent cross-country flight, and has chastised the carrier for allegedly not having any Narcan on board.
In response, reps for Delta confirmed to Yahoo that a medical emergency happened during the trip and that their flights are not currently supplied with Naloxone, popularly identified by the brand name Narcan, a nasal spray used to counter opioid overdoses.
A spokesperson for the Atlanta-based airline told Fox News that although they could not comment on the details of the event due to passenger privacy rules, Delta will begin adding Narcan to emergency medical kits carried on its flights this fall.
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Delta flight 2531 departed Boston for Los Angeles on July 13, Yahoo Lifestyle reports, which is when the male traveler allegedly passed away.
According to a tweet from passenger Lynne Lyman, the man was found with a “needle in arm, passed out in bathroom.”
“The plane didn’t have a #NarcanKit," she further alleged. "The paramedics took 10 minutes to arrive. They just carried him out in a body bag. @Delta please practice #harmreduction and get a #NarcanKit on every [plane.]”
Lyman’s call to action has since gone viral, with over 3,500 likes and hundreds of comments, inspiring even Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, to chime in.
“Flight Attendants are aviation’s first responders and we need the proper tools to respond and save lives. In the air there are no options,” Nelson wrote back. “I’m so sorry for you, Lynne, and the crew and other passengers who had to watch this.”
“The flight attendants were great, they tried everything. As was the man who broke the bathroom door open and pulled him out, and the doctor that tried to help,” Lyman, a former California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, replied.
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When contacted for comment on the allegations, a rep for Delta offered Fox News the following statement:
“I can’t speak to details of the event specifically due to passenger privacy rules,” a spokesperson stated via email on July 16. “That said, Delta earlier this year made the decision to improve our on board emergency medical kits by adding Narcan. The process to outfit medical kits will begin this fall.”
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When an overdose occurs, the quick administration of Narcan, can make the difference between life and death. Overdosing on opioids can slow or stop breathing; Narcan reverses that function of the drug.
For the first time in U.S. history, one of the leading causes of deaths — vehicle crash — has been supplanted by drug overdoses, much of them involving illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Llorente contributed to this report.
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