A Baltimore Ravens football player is being commended for stepping in to help during a mid-flight medical emergency.
Mark Andrews, a tight end, reportedly rushed to help flight attendants and medical personnel when a fellow passenger became ill.
The Ravens have acknowledged Mr Andrews’ activities to the BBC.
“The real heroes are the nurse and doctor who also happened to be on the plane,” Mr Andrews said in a statement.
He also stated that the “fast-acting flight attendants” provided “the woman the quick assistance she needed”.
The professional athlete was on a Thursday morning Southwest Airlines trip from Baltimore, Maryland to Phoenix, Arizona when a female passenger began to have medical problems.
Andrew Spring, another passenger on the flight, told the local CBS News station WJZ that the woman was “in and out of consciousness to some extent” and “not really responsive.”
Mr Spring sat just a few feet away, watching as flight attendants, a doctor, and a nurse who happened to be aboard the plane began to assist the woman. Then Mr Andrews jumped in.
“Do you know if her blood sugar could be low? “I have a diabetic test kit.” Mr. Spring recalled what the football hero said.
“So, Mark reached under his seat, pulled out his diabetic test kit,” Mr. Spring added.
Mr. Spring vividly described the entire scenario on X.
In one article, he described how Mr Andrews “instructed the medical professionals…on using his test kit”.
Southwest Airlines spokesman Dan Landson confirmed that medical staff responded to the flight when it arrived in Phoenix, but declined to provide any information, citing customer privacy concerns.
Mr Andrews was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of nine and, according to the Ravens’ website, “is an outspoken advocate for those with diabetes and is extremely vigilant about his self-care”.
The Ravens said that he constantly monitors his blood sugar throughout games.
Though his colleagues later commented on X about his rapid actions, Mr. Andrews deplaned with “no fanfare,” according to Mr. Spring on Twitter.
“As he has done his whole career, he stepped up in a huge moment when people needed him most,” he said in a statement. “Watching complete strangers spring into action to help save someone’s life is truly amazing.”
