What was meant to be the start of new careers became a dramatic, life-saving mission for two young nurses from Kerala, who revived a fellow passenger suffering a cardiac arrest just 20 minutes into their first-ever international flight to the UAE.
Abhijith Jees, 26, from Wayanad, and Ajeesh Nelson, 29, from Chengannur, were on board Air Arabia flight 3L128 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi, heading to join their new positions as registered nurses with Response Plus Medical (RPM) in the UAE.
The medical emergency struck quickly. Around 20 minutes after takeoff, as the aircraft cruised over the Arabian Sea, Abhijith noticed a man from Thrissur, Kerala, slumped in his seat, unresponsive and gasping for air.
“I checked his pulse, but there was none. I knew he was in
cardiac arrest,” Abhijith later recalled.
The two nurses immediately sprang into action. Abhijith started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while alerting the cabin crew, and Ajeesh quickly joined to assist. Working in a confined space at 35,000 feet, the duo performed two critical rounds of CPR.
“There was no panic. We just focused on what had to be done. It was about acting fast and doing our best,” Ajeesh stated.
Their timely and professional intervention paid off. The passenger, a 34-year-old man, regained a pulse and began breathing again. A doctor on board, Dr Arif Abdul Khadir, stepped in to provide further stabilisation, administering IV fluids and monitoring his vitals for the rest of the journey.
Upon landing safely in Abu Dhabi, the revived passenger was transferred to the airport medical team for treatment and was later reported to be in stable condition. The two nurses, however, quietly proceeded to their new workplace without mentioning their heroism.
The story only emerged after a fellow traveller, who was also an RPM employee, narrated the dramatic events to the company. Response Plus Medical later officially felicitated Abhijith and Ajeesh for their courage and presence of mind, calling their actions an embodiment of their profession’s true spirit.
The grateful family of the saved passenger expressed heartfelt thanks: “They were strangers, yet they gave our loved one another chance at life. Their kindness and courage will always stay in our prayers.” For Abhijith and Ajeesh, saving a life before even starting their new careers proved to be the most meaningful “welcome” to the UAE.
