Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji come to the rescue in mid-air medical emergency
Reigning Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji have won high praise once again after stepping in to assist cabin crew during a medical emergency on a flight from Fiji to Brisbane on Thursday.
Reigning Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji have won high praise once again after stepping in to assist cabin crew during a medical emergency on a flight from Fiji to Brisbane on Thursday.
When an elderly female passenger was taken ill, England-born team coach Ben Ryan and team doctor Emosi Taloga immediately provided medical assistance.
Cabin crew had started lunch service when the emergency occurred, but were forced to stop while the passenger was attended to.
The Fiji players, without being asked, rose from their seats to continue serving lunch to the other passengers, then moved through the cabin to retrieve trays and rubbish when the meal had been completed, team co-manager Paula Bio said.
When the air hostesses were all flustered the team got up to finish serving food and then assisted with the clean-up of trays for the entire plane
One player assisted cabin crew by holding an oxygen mask to the face of the ailing passenger for more than an hour.
A passenger aboard the Virgin Australia flight, Ryan Fee, said the actions of the Fiji players had been a “fantastic bit of team work”.
“When the air hostesses were all flustered the team got up to finish serving food and then assisted with the clean-up of trays for the entire plane,” Fee said.
The Fiji team were heading to Brisbane on their way to Dubai for the first round of the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Their actions were described as “a great illustration of rugby culture” and the team were hailed as great ambassadors for the game and Fiji. Online posts said the team’s humility and consideration contrasted with an image of professional sportsmen as arrogant and entitled.
Fiji are the top-ranked team in world sevens and among the favourites to win the gold medal when rugby sevens becomes an Olympic sport at Rio next year.
