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Authorities have identified the 22-year-old passenger who died after suffering a medical emergency on a Southwest Airlines flight headed for Los Angeles, as investigators continue working to determine what caused his sudden death.
Rain McMillan Walmsey died on Aug. 7 after becoming unresponsive aboard Southwest Flight 958, which was traveling from Dallas to Los Angeles. Crew members and others on board attempted to save him before the aircraft arrived at Los Angeles International Airport.
Records newly released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner show that the inquiry into Walmsey’s death is still active. Officials have not yet determined what triggered the fatal medical episode.
The medical examiner identified Walmsey as a 22-year-old man and recorded his place of death as “LAX Southwest plane.”
Portland, Oregon, USA – February 9, 2026: A Southwest Airlines 737 comes in for landing at Portland International Airport. (iStock)
His cause of death has been marked as “deferred,” a designation the medical examiner’s office uses when a final ruling is awaiting additional investigation. No manner of death has been released.
Walmsey became unresponsive during the flight after experiencing what law enforcement sources described to NBC Los Angeles as a medical emergency. CPR was performed on the aircraft, and paramedics met the plane when it landed at LAX, according to the outlet. Despite those efforts, Walmsey could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
It remains unclear what type of medical emergency Walmsey experienced.
The device’s lithium battery was larger than the permitted limit, causing the delay. (iStock)
Southwest Airlines confirmed to News Outlet that a “medical incident involving a customer” occurred aboard Flight 958 from Dallas to Los Angeles on Friday but did not provide additional details, instead referring further questions to local authorities.
The incident follows other recent cases involving passengers who suffered fatal medical emergencies aboard commercial flights.
A Southwest passenger flight takes off from San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, U.S., February 3, 2023. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
In January 2025, 53-year-old Barbara Dipoli of Kansas died aboard an Air France flight from Paris to Boston, with authorities saying preliminary information pointed to a medical episode during the flight.
In June 2024, 8-year-old Sydney Weston became ill and unresponsive aboard a SkyWest flight before the plane diverted to Peoria, Illinois.
That same month, a 41-year-old American passenger died after suffering a severe medical emergency aboard a Fiji Airways flight bound for San Francisco.
