Paramedics save man after his heart stops beating on United Airlines flight

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Alex Van, 53, and Donovan George, 32, were flying with service dogs
Elderly man stood up and complained he felt dizzy, before collapsing
Paramedics, who work in urban search and rescue, rushed to his aid
They hooked man up to IV and performed CPR while plane was in air
By time diverted flight landed in Phoenix, patient was alert and talking
Incident occurred on Flight 333 from California to Texas and Florida

By Sophie Jane Evans For Dailymail.com and Chris Kitching for MailOnline

Published: 10:38 EST, 24 January 2015 | Updated: 11:40 EST, 24 January 2015

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Two paramedics are being hailed as heroes after they saved the life of a 70-year-old airline passenger whose heart stopped beating during a United Airlines flight to Texas and Florida.

Donovan George, 32, and Alex Van, 53, were traveling on Flight 333 from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, to Houston when they noticed an elderly man stand up.

The passenger, who had started to move uncomfortably and was clearly 'in distress', complained that he was feeling light-headed and dizzy. Seconds later, he collapsed in Mr Van's arms.

'He was really pale in color and he was sweating profusely,' said Mr Van, who works in urban search and rescue alongside Mr George. 'I asked him if he was OK, and he collapsed into my arms.

Rescuers: Donovan George (left), 32, and Alex Van (right), 53, are being hailed as heroes after they saved the life of a 70-year-old man whose heart stopped beating during a United Airlines flight to Texas and Florida

'I started noticing that he's not breathing, he does not have a pulse. I immediately started CPR .'

The paramedics, who were headed to Houston with their service canines for a Federal Emergency Management Agency search-and-rescue conference, hooked the man up to an IV.

Then, using an auto-external defibrillator provided by the flight crew, they worked frantically to save his life, Orange County Fire Authority Captain, Steve Concialdi, told ABC News.

After several minutes, the pensioner, who was flying home to Florida via Houston, came round and regained all his vital signs, sparking a round of applause from fellow passengers.

The plane was swiftly diverted to Phoenix, Arizona, where the man was taken to a hospital. Thanks to the paramedics' actions, he is now alert and talking, the Orange County Register reported.

Drama: The paramedics, who works in urban search and rescue, were traveling on Flight 333 from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Houston when they noticed an elderly man stand up (file picture)

Houston-bound: The passenger, who was clearly 'in distress', collapsed in Mr Van's arms. The paramedics (pictured with their working canines) then hooked him to an IV and performed CPR on him, saving his life

Before he was transported into the hospital, the man thanked Mr Van and Mr George and said he was hoping to continue his journey home to Fort Lauderdale.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Concialdi praised the pair - who were travelling to Texas A&M University in College Station for the conference - for saving the man's life.

'If they hadn't acted, he probably would not be alive,' he said.

However, Mr George, a firefighter/paramedic from Huntington Beach, California, downplayed the attention that he and Mr Van are receiving in the wake of their life-saving actions.

Airport: The plane was swiftly diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (pictured) in Arizona, where the man was taken to a hospital. Thanks to the paramedics' actions, he is now alert and talking

'This is something we do every day. This was a circumstance where we were needed,' he said.

'It doesn't matter if you're 30,000 feet up in the air or on the side of a freeway or in someone's home, our skill set allows us to help people in need when they need it.'

Mr Van, a firefighter/emergency medical technician from Long Beach, California, added: 'This is not a career. It's a way of life. Wherever you go, you will have to respond.'