A MUM-of-three flight attendant dropped dead in front of horrified passengers as they boarded a plane.
Gabriella Cario – who worked for ITA Airways – was already feeling unwell as she waited at the boarding gate on Saturday afternoon.
Jam PressGabriella Cario dropped dead in front of passengers[/caption]
She was excited to fly home to her three childrenJam Press
Jam PressParamedics rushed to Reggio Calabria Airport but she could not be saved[/caption]
However, she chose not to ask for help because she wanted to return home to her husband and her three sons.
She reportedly dismissed the illness as just a “fainting spell”.
But as she boarded the plane she collapsed and she died within minutes in front of shocked passengers and colleagues.
All passengers were disembarked as onsite paramedics rushed to the aircraft.
They tried to revive the 57-year-old, but their efforts were in vain.
The tragedy happened at Reggio Calabria Airport, southeast of Naples, Italy.
ITA Airways flight 1156 bound for Rome Fiumicino was postponed to the evening after Cario’s death.
Other flights were also delayed.
Cario worked as a flight attendant for ITA Airways but was returning to her home in Sabaudia, near Latina.
She was originally from Naples but worked out of Rome on domestic and international flights.
Her cause of death is still a mystery and has only been reported to date as a “sudden illness.”
Sabaudia mayor Alberto Mosca said: “I knew Gabriella. She was a bright, always-smiling, and kind woman.
“On behalf of the administration and the entire community, I extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband and her beloved three children.”