A nurse on Spirit Airlines flight recently saved the life of a 3-month-old baby who stopped breathing mid-flight. The incident occurred on a flight from Pittsburgh to Orlando. It was a “terrifying” few minutes for all onboard until the nurse came to the rescue.

The retired nurse, Tamara Panzino, was onboard, ready to enjoy a vacation. When the news of the baby’s state was announced on the flight, she acted quickly to help restore the baby’s breathing. Ian Casette, of FOX35, was also on board and documented the reaction of the flight once the infant started breathing.

When Panzino took out her earbuds she heard the flight attendant announce: “we have an infant not breathing.” She promptly ran to the back of the plane where the baby was with her parents, and that’s when her “years of experience kicked in.”

What happened:

She revived the infant using a “kind of aggressive shake of the chest, trying to make it cry or take a deep breath. The baby’s color started looking better [and] I was so glad.” According to news reports, the baby was smiling and back in good spirits shortly after. A video posted by Casette shows the flight celebrating the quick thinking of the nurse and the cabin crew.

The statement from Spirit:

“We’re currently gathering information to learn more. We thank our crew and guest for the quick response. Our flight attendants are trained to respond to medical emergencies onboard and utilize several resources, including communication with our designated on-call medical professionals on the ground, using onboard medical kits and receiving assistance from credentialed medical professionals traveling on the flight.” said a Spirit Airlines spokesperson.

It is still unclear what caused the infant to stop breathing. The parents indicated that they had never experienced any similar incidents previously.

Related: Mom And Son Hand Out Earplugs To Fellow Passengers In Case Of Child’s Meltdown

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