Gulf Air flight attendant dies of a heart attack in mid-air

A flight attendant suffered a heart attack mid-air and died while working on a flight from Bahrain to Paris last week.

Gulf Air flight attendant Yasser Saleh Al Yazidi was part of the cabin crew on flight GF 19, which left Bahrain at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Tragically, about an hour and a half into the flight, the attendant had a heart attack as the plane flew over Iraq, at an altitude of about 34,000 feet, according to the Daily Mail.

The flight made an emergency landing in the Iraqi city of Erbil so Yasser could receive medical attention.

The plane was met with a medical team on the ground who transported the fallen cabin member to a nearby hospital.

He was pronounced dead on arrival.

The flight was grounded for about four hours at Erbil international airport before passengers were able to continue on their trip to Paris.

A statement released by Gulf Air read: “The national carrier expresses its deepest condolences to the crew member’s family and loved ones, and confirms that the flight resumed to Paris as scheduled.”

“Gulf Air reassures that the safety of its passengers and crew comes at the top of its priorities, and thanks the affected flight’s passengers for their patience and understanding,” the statement continued.

AFP via Getty Images

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

While cabin crews are typical trained to administer basic first aid, most commercial flights are not equipped with specialized medical equipment, meaning planes must make an emergency landing when serious medical issues arise during a flight.

In October, a woman aboard a flight from Houston to London similarly suffered from a heart attack while up in the sky.

That woman reportedly went into cardiac arrest in front of several other passengers, and was pronounced dead at the scene.