Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting an assessment regarding an incident that happened at the Pago Pago International Airport last Thursday, whereby a Hawaiian Airline passenger who was waiting to board the flight was rushed to the LBJ Hospital after he collapsed in the departure lounge.

Almost an hour after he arrived at the LBJ Hospital Emergency Room, the passenger was pronounced dead.

A senior official at the airport confirmed to Samoa News last week that an assessment into the incident was carried out by the FAA in an effort to find out what the airport's procedures are, when incidents like this happen.

“The FAA assessment focused on several issues including the safety of passengers at the airport; the procedure that airport officials should follow when an incident like this happens; and mainly, what caused this incident,” the official said.

Samoa News was able to obtain a statement from the head of EMS, Galumalemana Popo Avegalio regarding the incident.

According to Galumalemana, EMS responded to an emergency call from the airport police at the Tafuna International airport departure lounge at approximately 10:05 p.m. on Thursday, Apr. 4, 2019, reporting that an outgoing HAL passenger, a 64-year-old male, had collapsed at the departure lounge.

Upon arrival at the scene, the victim had been moved to the security office and was observed sitting in a wheelchair. Upon assessment, the victim was unresponsive and unconscious. The EMS team initiated a ‘code-blue’ with the ‘2-man CPR’ and indicated ‘no-shock’.

According to the EMS statement, the ‘code blue’ with the ‘2-man CPR’ continued en route to the LBJ Hospital Emergency Room, “where the code was called off at approximately 10:57 pm”, when the victim was pronounced dead.

Samoa News understands that the victim was reported to have been admitted to the LBJ Hospital ER the day before — Wednesday — but he signed himself out during the early morning hours of Thursday, Apr. 4th.