Nurse saves baby on Spirit Airlines flight bound for Orlando: 'Just a happy story'

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Spirit Airlines flight to Orlando landed Thursday night with passengers clapping and cheering after a nurse helped rescue an infant who reportedly stopped breathing during the flight.

FOX 35 meteorologist Ian Cassette was aboard Spirit Flight 1691 Thursday night, which departed Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania en route to Orlando, Florida. 

"On my flight back from Pittsburgh to Orlando, a baby stopped breathing three rows ahead of me. Thankfully a nurse (Tamara Panzino) was able to get the baby to breathe again," he wrote on Twitter, alongside video of dad and smiling baby Anjele, at the front of the plane, as the passengers clap and cheer.

Panzino, who has been a nurse for more than 20 years, told FOX 35 that the medical emergency started about 30 minutes after the plane took off. She jumped into action and started massaging the baby's chest and legs, and soon, the baby started breathing again.

"When you have to step forward and do what’s right, you do it. It was just a happy story, and it made me feel really good," said Panzino.

Ian spoke with the parents off-camera after the plane landed.

"The parents of three month old Anjelé were terrified and had never experienced this before. They praised the positive energy of the plane and the heroic actions of Tamara for saving her," he said in a Twitter thread. Ian also commended the flight crew for their "quick action for helping as well."

In a statement Thursday night, a spokesperson for Spirit Airlines said: "We’re currently gathering information to learn more. We thank our crew and guest for the quick response. Our Flight Attendants are trained to respond to medical emergencies onboard and utilize several resources, including communicating with our designated on-call medical professionals on the ground, using onboard medical kits, and receiving assistance from credentialed medical professionals traveling on the flight."