Niketan Diora (r) saved the life of a man who was having a heart attack on a flight from India on Feb. 10. A lifeguard at Middlesex County College in Edison, he learned his lifesaving techniques from instructor Rhonda Zampetti. OLD BRIDGE — Only three hours into a 16-hour flight from Mumbai, India, to New Jersey on Feb. 10, Niketan Diora was roused by the sound of an announcement through the plane’s intercom.
Just like a scene from a movie, the captain asked if there were any medically trained professional nurses or doctors aboard the plane who could help a troubled passenger. Diora is no doctor, but that didn’t stop him from jumping out of his seat to offer his help.
“My primary instincts just lead me to get up and report whenever someone needs help,” he said. “I know if a higher-trained professional reports after me they can always take over the situation.”
Diora has seen his fair share of emergency situations. As a lifeguard for the past six years at Middlesex County College (MCC), Edison, Diora gained certifications in lifesaving procedures including CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“I have saved other lives before,” Diora said, but not in a situation like this.
As he walked toward the plane’s kitchen, he noticed passengers staring at a man who was clutching his chest with one hand, the other shaking violently.
“I went up to the patron and talked to him and asked him to breathe deep as I checked his pulse. I noticed he had an irregular heartbeat,” Diora said.
Flight attendants told Diora that the man was probably having a heart attack or stroke.
“I immediately told one of the crew members to clear out a row of seats and [to have] the food taken away. I had the patron lay down across the three seats, in order to make it easy for the heart to circulate blood throughout the body, [and most importantly] the brain.
“All of a sudden he loses consciousness and his heart stops,” Diora said. “I tell one of the crew members to get me scissors and another to get me a defibrillator. Luckily, the defibrillator was right above his seat. I cut open the patron’s T-shirt to apply the pads. I apply the pads and let the [defibrillator] analyze. It advised me to deliver a shock twice, and so I did.”
After the second shock, the man’s heart started beating again and he regained consciousness. Diora had saved the man from a heart attack.
“I didn’t notice the reaction of the people on the plane much, as I was in an adrenaline rush,” Diora said. “I was very surprised by how well I handled the situation.”
The remainder of the flight went smoothly. After the plane arrived on the East Coast and emergency medical technicians examined the patron, Diora was told that the man was in good health.
Diora learned his lifesaving techniques from MCC instructor Rhonda Zampetti, who has taught at the college since 2000 and has been an instructor with the Red Cross for 25 years.
“There’s no question he saved this man’s life,” Zampetti said. “Within four to six minutes, brain damage sets in. Nick not only saved his life, but by helping him so quickly, he has given him [back his] quality of life.”
Diora said his years of education and experience as a lifeguard helped him remain calm and assertive during the high-stress situation.
“I am very proud of the fact that I took lessons at MCC,” he said.
Contact Tom Castles at [email protected]