Samoa's Faleolo international Airport. Photo / Getty Images
Police in Samoa are investigating the circumstances of the death of a child on board a flight from Auckland this week.
Emergency staff were called to Samoa's Faleolo International Airport on Wednesday after receiving information from a Samoa Airways aircraft that there was a medical situation mid-flight, the Samoa Observer reported.
The airline confirmed to the newspaper that a passenger had died on the Boxing Day flight from Auckland.
"On Wednesday 26th December, a medical situation involving a passenger occurred whilst flight OL732 was en-route from Auckland to Apia,'' the statement said.
"In response, cabin crew assisted and treated the passenger with oxygen.''
Despite the crew's efforts to revive the passenger, his condition deteriorated.
CPR was carried out and a defibrillator was used.
"Unfortunately, there was no medical personnel on board the flight,'' the airline told the Samoa Observer.
"The passenger - who, according to family, had a medical history which had not been disclosed to the airline prior to the flight - sadly passed away.''
A local police staffer told the publication that the passenger was a young boy and confirmed that Samoan Police were investigating the death.
A Samoa Airways spokesman said the airline would be helping with moves to return the passenger's body to New Zealand and were working with the victim's family.
As the year draws to a close, Waikato Herald is taking stock of 2024.