E-Paper
Sign In
Dubai doctor saves 3-year-old after mid-air emergency forces flight to land in Mumbai
Refusing seizure medication mid-air, and ordering an emergency landing, Dr Cecil's instinct saved 3-year-old Steve
- PUBLISHED: Mon 16 Feb 2026, 6:00 AM UPDATED: Mon 16 Feb 2026, 8:34 AM
At 30,000 feet, with a 3-year-old boy struggling to breathe and oxygen levels dropping, Dubai resident Dr Cecil Kunnapilly faced a nightmare scenario.
The child, Steve, was recovering from pneumonia and felt unwell. His parents, US-based Akkara family, were travelling on the flight with their three children for an annual vacation. During the final leg from Dubai to Kochi, they noticed he was drowsy. At first, they blamed jet lag. Then they realised something was wrong.
Recommended For You
Dr Cecil sprang to action, and soon realised that the oximeter on board was adult-sized. He squeezed three of Steve's fingers together to get a reading. The oxygen level was dangerously low, although two UK-based doctors were already administering oxygen through a tank.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels
"I felt like the tank was faulty and asked for a new one to be brought," he said.
When the replacement arrived, Steve's saturation improved but remained below ideal levels. Then the seizures began, triggered by oxygen deprivation. Dr Cecil used an instrument to keep the child's airway open. When airline staff brought medication to stop the seizure, he made a critical call.
He refused to administer it, fearing it could cause respiratory distress. He advised the plane crew that the child needed immediate attention, prompting an emergency landing at Mumbai airport.
'I wasn't sure if it was a dream'
Dr Cecil was heading home to Kerala for a weekend trip after a long working day. Boarding the flight from Dubai, he hoped to sleep. Instead, he heard a vague announcement he couldn't quite place.
"When I woke up, I wasn't sure if I had actually heard it or if it was a dream," the specialist general surgeon at Al Futtaim Healthcare told Khaleej Times. "I asked the person in my adjacent seat if there was an announcement, and when he confirmed, I stepped forward."
Two UK-based doctors were already with the child when Dr Cecil arrived, administering oxygen from the onboard cylinder. But as the senior doctor on site, he took charge.
'Our son is alive'
The flight diverted to Mumbai, where Steve was rushed to hospital. Dr Cecil continued to Kochi, unsure how the child was doing. Days later, the family found him on social media.
"After landing in Mumbai and transferring our child to the hospital, the attending doctors confirmed that the timely interventions and precise decisions made during the flight — especially by Dr Cecil — were instrumental in saving our child's life," Pinto Akkara wrote.
Dr Cecil deflects praise to the team — the two UK doctors who kept parents calm, and the parents themselves who trusted the process.
"The other doctors were very compassionate and helped to keep the parents calm," he said. "The parents were also very understanding and did not interfere as we made critical decisions. I am thankful that we were all able to make a difference."
For the Akkara family, that difference is everything. Their son is alive.
