Getty An American Airlines plane.
A 41-year-old mother of two from Indiana died suddenly after falling ill on an airplane that was in flight from the Dominican Republic to Charlotte, North Carolina.
People Magazine identified her as Stefanie Smith.
Her friend Maria Yannotti told ABC News that Smith went on vacation with her boyfriend and seemed healthy. “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,” she told ABC, adding that Smith’s boyfriend, who was sitting next to her on the plane, said “her eyes rolled back and she started convulsing.”
NEW: A young mom tragically passed
away Wednesday.
41-year-old Stefanie Smith was a daughter, sister, best friend, & a mother to Coen and Macee. Stefanie was flying home to IN from vacation & had a medical ER. This fund is for her children. ❤️😢🙏
t.co/BLcbGyUelH
According to a February 28 statement from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, the incident was classified as a “sudden death.” Her cause of death was not released, nor was the exact nature of her illness.
The woman was from central Indiana, according to Fox 59, although her name was not released. Her sister-in-law wrote a tribute to her on the police Facebook page, however.
“A commercial flight was diverted to the Turks and Caicos this evening after a female passenger fell ill mid-flight,” the release says.
Here’s what you need to know:
Police Say CPR Was Attempted on the Woman to No Avail
GettyA beach in the Dominican Republic.
“At 6:12 pm, 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 (CPR),” it adds. “The flight was en route from the Dominican Republic to Charlotte, USA.”
According to the police statement, “A medical team, along with police units, were dispatched, and the patient was transported to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she died. A post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.”
USA Today reported that the death occurred during an American Airlines flight 2790, which “departed from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic before it was diverted to Providenciales International Airport ‘for the medical needs of a passenger.'”
The Woman’s Sister-in-Law Described Her as the ‘Mother of 2 Beautiful Children’
GettyAn American Airlines jet flies over Nickerson Beach Park on September 04, 2023 in Lido Beach, New York.
Stephanie Quinn wrote in the comment thread of the police news release post, “This was my sister-in-law. We are in disbelief and our hearts are breaking 💔” She added, “The only girl out of 5 siblings, so you can imagine how protected she was by those boys. Mother of 2 beautiful children with big hearts and straight A’s at school. Now my nephew won’t have his mom at his graduation in May. She is still down there so please take good care of her as she ventures home.”
A woman responded to that comment, writing, “I’m so very sorry for your loss! I had a chance to see your sister-in-law and her husband/companion board and shared a laugh. Please know I share my deepest condolences and prayers with all of you during this very difficult unimaginable time. I will continue to keep all of you in my thoughts and hope God grants you the patience and grace to grieve and the strength to heal while knowing she will always be with you in heart mind and soul – forever treasured, always remembered! ❤️”
Another woman wrote, “I’m so sorry for your loss. We were on her flight. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.”
A friend on Quinn’s Facebook page wrote, “So sorry! Please tell Tyler I’m so very sorry for his loss!” Another friend wrote, “Thinking of you guys, your family is in our prayers. So sorry for this loss. 💔”
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