Marine graduation plays a part in saving woman's life

Marine graduation plays a part in saving woman's life on flight to Savannah
By PATRICK DONOHUE
pdonohue@beaufortgazette.com
843-706-8152
Published Monday, September 7, 2009
Delta Air Lines flight 5446 was about 25 minutes from touchdown Wednesday at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, and Marine Sgt. Derrick Hengst was trying to get some sleep.

Hengst, a 23-year-old recruiter at Recruiting Station Nashville, was on the final leg of his trip to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island to see one of his recruits -- Pfc. Christopher Higley -- graduate from boot camp Friday.

He was beginning to doze off when he heard commotion in the row behind him.

"I heard the flight attendant saying, 'Ma'am? Ma'am, are you all right?' so I turned around and this woman was slouched over, almost falling onto her husband," Hengst said Friday.

Seated in the row behind the woman, Al Solomon, a 22-year-old whitewater-rafting guide from western Massachusetts, also noticed the situation, which quickly grew dire for the woman.
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