Jack Jordan, 62, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in front of his wife's eyes whilst on a flight between Los Angeles and New Mexico.
A nurse and a physiotherapist both stepped up to perform CPR, but, when a passenger pointed out the on-board defibrillator, the air hostess apparently refused to use it because the man was 'too hairy'.
Jack's heartbroken wife said: "The female flight attendant that had been there, right up there with us, said no because his chest is too hairy.
“I don't expect the airlines or flight attendants to be nurses or doctors. Not anywhere close.
“But, in that kind of a circumstance, one of the first things that they should be doing is getting that defibrillator hooked up.
“I don’t want somebody else to have to go through that.”
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Flight staff eventually shaved her husband’s chest and applied the life saving device, but it was reportedly too late by that point and he died.
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Michelle Agnews, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the passenger for her loss.
“Our reports indicate that once notified of his condition, our flight attendants and two on board medical professionals assisted the ill passenger following protocol for use of our on board automated external defibrillator (AED)."
“All of our aircraft are fully equipped with AEDs and our flight attendants receive initial and annual recurrent CPR and AED training.
“While in the air, our Employees contacted paramedics to meet the flight immediately upon arrival.”
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She added they are looking into the incident.