A flight bound for Mexico was compelled to execute an emergency landing following the sudden death of a passenger on board. María Yolanda Guerrero Medina, 72, a resident of Morelia, passed away after falling ill less than two hours into the Volaris journey.
The aircraft departed from Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturday afternoon, initially destined for General Francisco Mujica International Airport in Mexico. However, the flight path was quickly altered due to the medical emergency.
According to Mexican newspaper El Norte, Medina had a 12-year history of kidney failure and diabetes, though the precise circumstances surrounding her demise remain unclear. She reportedly deteriorated rapidly as Flight 7771, which had taken off at 3:13 PM, entered Mexican airspace.
Crew members were alerted to her condition by fellow passengers before the captain contacted authorities and sought clearance for an emergency landing. The plane touched down at Monterrey International Airport shortly before 5:30 PM, where medical and security personnel were awaiting. Tragically, emergency responders determined that Medina had no vital signs, with a preliminary report attributing the death to natural causes.
To enable the remaining passengers to continue their journey to the scheduled destination, the plane was replaced with another aircraft, as reported by WLS News. The Mirror has reached out to Volaris and Monterrey International Airport for comment.
This incident follows the recent death of a 51-year-old man on a Cathay Pacific flight from Manchester to Hong Kong. The passenger fell ill on flight CX216, which departed Manchester Airport at 11:04 AM on April 23 and arrived at Hong Kong International Airport the following morning at 6:53 AM HKT (11:53 PM BST). Hong Kong police received a report from air traffic control at around 6:15 AM that a passenger had collapsed on board, according to Hong Kong Free Press. The man, identified in local reports by the surname Chen, was an insurance broker who had immigrated to the UK with his family. He had been diagnosed with cancer in mid-2024 and had been traveling frequently between Hong Kong and the UK for medical checkups and business.
