Just three hours into a flight from Hawaii to New York, passengers heard a startling announcement on a Hawaiian Airlines plane, flyers say.
The pilot asked for doctors to come forward to the first-class cabin, novelist Andrea Barth wrote on Twitter.
Flight attendant Emile Griffith, a 31-year employee of Hawaiian Airlines, suffered an apparent heart attack and died on the flight, which was diverted to San Francisco, KPIX reported.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Emile Griffith, a member of our flight attendant 'ohana for over 31 years who passed away while working on our flight between Honolulu and New York last night," the airline said in a statement, Hawaii News Now reported.
"We are forever grateful for Emile's colleagues and good Samaritans on board who stayed by his side and provided extensive medical help," the statement read. "Emile both loved and treasured his job at Hawaiian and always shared that with our guests. Our hearts are with Emile's family, friends and all those fortunate to have known him."