Hollywood star Carrie Fisher was fighting for her life after suffering a massive heart attack near the end of a transatlantic flight.
The 60-year-old “Star Wars” actress was preparing to land in Los Angeles when she went into cardiac arrest, and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation by an emergency responder on board.
Fisher collapsed 15 minutes before the plane, from London, landed at LAX around midday Pacific time, and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center on a ventilator.
Her brother, Todd Fisher, told The Hollywood Reporter Fisher was “out of emergency” but he later denied media reports that she was in stable condition.
He told Variety magazine his sister had been moved from the emergency room to the Intensive Care Unit,
“We have to wait and be patient,” he said. “We have so little information ourselves.”
“She’s obviously a very tough girl who’s survived many things,” he added. “I encourage everyone to pray for her.”
TMZ, citing witnesses, said the actress’s eyes were closed and she appeared unconscious as she was rushed through the terminal, where paramedics worked for 15 minutes before they could get a pulse.
The Los Angeles Times said her condition was initially reported as critical, quoting an unnamed source who said the actress was “in a lot of distress on the flight.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and United Airlines did not refer to the actress by name but both confirmed paramedics had raced to help her as soon as she touched down, just after midday.
Fisher was catapulted to worldwide stardom as the rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, which has been a cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983.
Fisher’s co-stars led tributes as Hollywood reacted with shock to news of her collapse.
“As if 2016 couldn’t get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher” tweeted Mark Hamill, who plays her on-screen twin Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” saga.

Source: Arab News