European Commission president von der Leyen aids in‑flight emergency
As Politico reported, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, provided first aid to a passenger in urgent need of medical care during a flight from Zurich to Brussels.
According to information from Swiss and German media, cited by Politico, the incident occurred on Wednesday aboard Swiss Air flight LX780. One of the passengers was showing symptoms of serious health issues.
The flight crew, adhering to protocols, requested medical assistance from passengers. "As is often the case, the crew (...) asked if there was anyone on board with medical expertise who could assist," stated the "Bild" newspaper. One of the passengers volunteered and provided first aid until the safe landing in Brussels.
Upon landing, the patient was transferred to a paramedic, and the individual who provided medical assistance was collected by a black Mercedes.
Ursula von der Leyen is a doctor by education
"Not as a reward for her remarkable rescue operation, but because the person providing first aid was the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen," it noted.
An EU spokeswoman confirmed the incident to "Bild": "We were (...) on our way back from Rio to Brussels when one of the passengers required medical assistance during the flight. As is customary in such situations, the airline staff asked if any passengers had medical knowledge."
Ursula von der Leyen is a doctor by education. She studied medicine in Hanover, where she earned a doctorate. The Swiss news portal 20 Minuten first reported her intervention on the plane.
