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SANDY — Matthew Skokos left Utah to visit his fiancee in Adelaide, Australia, and midway over the Pacific, there was trouble — so he stepped in and used his training to make a difference.
Skokos is a Sandy native and has worked for Unified Fire Authority for seven years. A few hours into his flight to Australia this week, an 81-year-old woman needed his help.
"We were informed that they needed medical personnel on the flight for an elderly lady that collapsed and had gone unconscious," he said.
He and an anesthesiologist from Seattle jumped into action. The woman wasn't responding, and they needed to make an emergency landing — the closest spot was Honolulu, Hawaii. Still hours away, though, time was precious and the situation was critical. Skokos helped administer an IV.
"So her pulse was down in the 20s and 30s, and we were about to start CPR on her," Skokos said. "We were able to get some fluids on board, so her blood pressure started to come back up, and so did the pulse rate. And her heart felt as if it had converted back into a normal rhythm on its own."
We were able to get some fluids on board, so her blood pressure started to come back up, and so did the pulse rate.
–Matthew Skokos
They were operating in tight conditions: an emergency aisle with passengers nearby. The woman's condition became stable, and Skokos and the doctor on board helped assist her until they landed in Hawaii.
Skokos continued his trip to Australia content to do what he's trained to do without hesitation.
"You know, it's one of those, I think every one of us in our profession is happy when we have the ability to and not just stand by and watch," he said.
Skokos said because of medical privacy laws, he had no idea of the woman's condition. He said situations like this one are just part of a day's work, but the airline did upgrade his flight.
