JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Avivit Eliyahu, a veteran nurse at Hadassah Mount Scopus, never imagined that a routine flight from Ethiopia to Israel would include such dramatic moments. Mid-flight, shortly after the meal was served, one of the passengers noticed something unusual: a man of about 75 seated a row ahead was slumped in his seat, his head tilted at an unnatural angle. He was unresponsive and making strange sounds.

“At first he seemed stable, then he began to gasp,” Avivit recalled. “Two young passengers were sitting next to him asleep — they had no idea anything was wrong.”

Within moments, the familiar call was heard: “Is there a doctor or nurse on board?” Avivit did not hesitate. “I stood up immediately — it’s instinct. I’m a nurse everywhere, even when I’m on vacation.”

When she reached the passenger, the situation quickly became clear. “Because it happened right after the meal and he wasn’t responding, I realized he was likely experiencing partial choking — food had probably entered his airway.”

She checked his pulse and found it extremely weak, barely detectable. “I knew every minute was critical.”

Without equipment but with experience and determination, she began to act. “I asked the two young passengers beside him to lay him down on the firmest surface possible. As required, I started clearing secretions from his mouth, checking his pulse, trying to assess the situation. It was truly a field-condition scenario.”

Flight attendants gathered around her and, she said, were alert and visibly stressed. “They asked whether an emergency landing was necessary. For a moment, there was concern we might have to land in Saudi Arabia. These are split-second decisions, but I stayed focused on the task.”

Avivit said the passenger was traveling alone. “According to people around him, his son had put him on a flight from Israel to Ethiopia to visit relatives.”

Since the man was unconscious and partial choking was suspected, she began chest compressions in an effort to dislodge the obstruction. “At Hadassah, there is a structured resuscitation training program for staff, including periodic refreshers. In moments like this, the training becomes a real lifesaving tool.”

After minutes that felt like an eternity, she said, the passenger suddenly opened his eyes. “It was an enormous sense of relief. He started moving his lips but remained very confused. I asked those nearby to speak to him gently in Amharic, but he was still detached and didn’t truly understand where he was.”

Ultimately, after updating the captain that the passenger’s condition had stabilized, the decision was made to continue the flight as planned. He remained under Avivit’s close supervision until landing. Avivit said fellow passengers approached her to praise her actions. “It was moving, but also exhausting. I felt a great deal of responsibility and stayed on high alert throughout the flight. Even the pilot came over to thank me.”