77-Year-Old Grandpa Had a Heart Attack Mid-Flight. Now He’s Searching for the Stranger Who Helped Save Him

“I owe her a great deal,” said Patrick McGee, who had a heart attack as the plane was landing

NEED TO KNOW

• Patrick McGee was flying from Omaha to Phoenix when he went into cardiac arrest
• A quick-thinking passenger administered CPR and saved his life, McGee later learned
• Now, the 77-year-old grandpa is seeking out the individual who saved him so he can thank her

A grateful grandpa hopes to find the passenger who helped save his life on a recent flight.

On Wednesday, July 29, Patrick McGee, 77, was on a Southwest Airlines flight from Nebraska to Phoenix, Ariz., when he experienced a major medical emergency.

“I owe this person a great deal,” McGee told local NBC affiliate KPNX. “I have a son, grandkids, wife, brothers and I’m still here with them because of her.”

McGee told the outlet that the last thing he remembered was speaking to the woman sitting next to him.

“Then the next thing I know, I’m in an ambulance,” he said.

McGee told the outlet that he later learned that he had a heart attack, while his fellow passenger helped save his life by administering CPR. After landing, he was taken to a local hospital to receive additional care.

An airline representative did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Now, days after the incident, McGee is determined to find the woman who saved him — but first, he has to figure out who she is.

“If you’re out there, listening to me right now,” McGee said, “thank you so very much.”

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