Airhostess and Mother-of-Three Suddenly Dies in Front of Passengers After Ignoring Help Because ‘She Wanted to Fly Back To Her Kids’

Passengers boarded a plane at Reggio Calabria Airport destined for Rome, unaware the flight would not take off. One of the people boarding was air hostess Gabriella Cario, a 57-year-old mother of three. She was a flight attendant by trade, but she wasn’t working during this trip. So she boarded with the rest of the passengers only to suddenly fall dead in front of everyone on the plane.

Airhostess Dies on Her Flight Home

Cario had begun feeling unwell as she waited at the boarding gate at the airport just southwest of Naples. However, she decided not to seek medical assistance because she didn’t want to delay traveling home to Sabaudia to her husband and three sons. Her symptoms have not been publicly specified, but her condition deteriorated quickly, and she died as she boarded the plane. The rest of the passengers evacuated the aircraft as onsite paramedics rushed on board. They tried to revive her but were unsuccessful. Following the air hostess’s death,  ITA Airways flight 1156 bound for Rome Fiumicino was postponed from the afternoon to the evening. Other flights were also subsequently delayed. 

Rest in Peace, Gabriella Cario

Cairo is originally from Vomero, Naples, but she moved to the coastal village of Sabaudia, Italy, when she was young and won a competition to become an air hostess on the now-defunct Italian airline Alitalia. Cario’s funeral took place on September 17. Her cause of death has only been reported as a “sudden illness” without additional specifications. She leaves behind her husband and sons Marco, Livio, and Mattia, who are about to become officers in the Guardia di Finanza.

“A bright, always-smiling, and kind woman”

ITA Airways gave a statement saying, “Our colleague, Gabriella Cario, was off duty when she died last Saturday in Reggio Calabria. She was returning home as a passenger and died on the plane before the flight from Reggio Calabria to Rome took off. The company is providing all possible support to her family.” Alberto Mosca, the Mayor of Sabaudia, also commented on the air hostess’s death. “I knew Gabriella. She was a bright, always-smiling, and kind woman. On behalf of the administration and the entire community, I extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband and her beloved three children.”

A Heart Attack During a Flight

Unfortunately, a similar death occurred only a few days later. Chris Neill, 40, passed away during a flight from Bulgaria to the UK. He was returning home after taking a vacation with his two children when he suddenly fell ill. Two hours into the flight, his condition deteriorated so the plane made an emergency landing in Cologne, Germany. But as he disembarked to receive medical assistance, he collapsed on the stairs between the plane and the runway, in front of the rest of the shocked passengers. He had suffered a massive heart attack and died despite the attempts to resuscitate him. 

Extending Heartfelt Condolences

A spokesman for the airline said, “We can confirm that flight LS3214 from Bourgas to Liverpool John Lennon diverted to Cologne on Monday, September 16, due to a customer requiring medical assistance. Regrettably, we can confirm that the customer sadly passed away. We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the customer’s family and friends at this very difficult time.” The family set up a GoFundMe to raise money to bring Chris’s body home from Germany.

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