PEORIA, IL – A heartbreaking incident took place aboard a flight that was making its way to Chicago. An 8-year-old girl who was a passenger on the plane suddenly fell gravely ill, leading to the aircraft making an emergency landing in Peoria, Illinois, so that the girl could receive treatment.
Despite attempts by emergency personnel to save her life, the young passenger was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The child has been identified as Sydney Weston from Carl Junction, Missouri.
While she was traveling with her family for a vacation, Weston’s sudden change in her condition pushed her family to immediately alert the flight crew for help. The crew responded by providing rapid assistance to the unresponsive child.
However, after making an emergency landing in Peoria, Weston was found to be in cardiac arrest, according to a statement that was released by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office.
The local medical center, OSF Healthcare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, pronounced the young girl dead at 8:05 a.m. An autopsy will take place on Friday to officially determine the 8-year-old’s cause of death. Her family is undoubtedly grappling with the sudden and tragic loss as they wait to learn the results of the autopsy.