Rafael Machado, who moved to Portugal four years ago, had not returned to Brazil until recently. During his first trip back, he missed a flight, but for a commendable reason: he helped save a life.
The Voluntary Firemen of Valença highlighted the incident on their Facebook page. Machado, 31, acted during a Tuesday flight that had to make an emergency stop in Cape Verde: “He was on a flight from Porto to Brazil when a critical situation arose: a French passenger developed acute appendicitis, requiring immediate intervention.”
“Thanks to his assistance alongside a doctor aboard — the flight was diverted to an airport in Cape Verde, where the passenger received hospital care,” the team detailed, emphasizing that this episode “illustrates that our firefighters’ commitment extends beyond borders: readiness, dedication, and courage are exhibited even outside the station.”
The organization expressed “pride, gratitude, and recognition” for Rafael Machado following the incident. Machado himself explained the situation to the Luxembourg publication Contacto.
“The plane crew asked for help, and two doctors and I responded. With my extensive experience from ambulances, I assisted,” he said, noting that the combined efforts with one of the doctors “saved” the French tourist, who is in his 40s.
He detailed that they quickly recognized appendicitis symptoms like chills, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. “When the patient experiences intense pain when touched, it signals appendicitis, and without prompt hospital treatment, the appendix could burst—a severe situation,” he warned.
Both the pilot and the crew were willing to help, asking those assisting the emergency if the flight diversion was necessary. One doctor didn’t think it was, but both Rafael and the other doctor decided it was better to divert, “because the man had been unwell the night before and swift intervention is crucial, or it could be fatal.”
Minutes later, the plane landed in Cape Verde, where an ambulance was ready for the patient. This diversion resulted in Rafael missing his connecting flight — as likely did other passengers — since he was to transit via Recife to São Paulo but missed the connection. He eventually continued to Recife later that night and “has no regrets.”
