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U.S. surgeon general says he assisted in medical emergency on Delta flight

Posted at 1:58 PM, May 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-17 15:58:38-04

The United States surgeon general said on Wednesday that he assisted in a medical emergency on board a Delta flight.

“On my @Delta flight to Jackson, Mississippi (by way of Atlanta), and they asked if there was a Doctor on board to help with a medical emergency- why yes- yes there was. Patient doing well and like a good #USPHS officer, I was glad to be able to assist!,” Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams tweeted on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear what situation Adams was referring to and what happened on the flight.

Delta said in a statement Adams intervened when a passenger became ill.

“Prior to takeoff, Delta flight 1827 from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta returned to the gate following a customer illness. Medical assistance was provided by the U.S. Surgeon General who worked with our flight crew to aid the customer,” the company said in a statement. “Delta thanks the Surgeon General for volunteering his services in assisting this customer.”

A request for comment to the Surgeon General’s office was not immediately returned.

Adams, who has served as surgeon general since September of last year, is an anesthesiologist, according to his official biography.

Delta’s official Twitter account also responded to the tweet, saying, “We certainly thank you for volunteering as well as for your service. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.”

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant also offered up praise, tweeting, “Nice job, Dr. Adams!” on Wednesday.