A USVI University Professor Mr Kodzo Ekpe has died after collapsing while boarding an outgoing American Airlines flight early Sunday, January 5, 2019, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Guyana, authorities in the country are reporting. Photo: Facebook

Daughter Mrs Trichelle George told VINO that her father's body is currently in Guyana awaiting transport to the USVI as the family is raising funds. Photo: Facebook

"Early this morning, my worse nightmare became a reality. I lost the first man who ever loved me and made me feel safe. Daddy, I Love You Forever...my hands are shaking so this is the most I can type," daughter Mrs Trichelle George said in a social media post the same morning. 

Guyana's Ministry of Public Health reported that several attempts were made to resuscitate the passenger who was later pronounced dead at the local Diamond Diagnostic Centre. The ministry noted that reports received from the Port Health Officer show that best efforts were made by the licensed health care provider on duty to save the passenger’s life.

Reports indicate that the passenger complained to his wife about feeling unwell on his way to the boarding gate before deciding to utilise his self-care nebuliser since he is asthmatic.

Mr Ekpe a Popular USVI Principal 

"No, he was not directly from BVI but he was well known as the Principal for the SDA school in St Croix. He also was the Principal/Vice-principal or math teacher for many other islands in the Caribbean," Mrs George told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) following reports that her father was from the [British] Virgin Islands (VI).

A GoFundMe account has since been created to aid the family in transporting the body to St Croix, "My dad's body is currently in Guyana. The GoFundMe goes directly towards the transportation of moving the body from Guyana to St Croix and to help with the cost of the funeral," she said.

In addition to being asthmatic, the patient’s medical history indicated that he was also hypertensive. Reports say another passenger had already begun to perform CPR on the unresponsive passenger.

The officer then took over and an Automated External Defibrillator was used in an attempt to resuscitate the passenger; however, he remained unresponsive.

The GoFundMe link to support the family can be found here