Ryanair cabin crew have been accused of an unusual response to an elderly passenger that suffered cardiac arrest – providing and then charging him with a sandwich and drink.

That’s according to the wife of Per-Erik Jonsson, whose 63-year-old husband became ill on a flight from England to Sweden last weekend. After alerting cabin crew to the dire situation, the airline’s ‘help’ was allegedly of the non-medically-approved variety.

“He didn’t respond when I tried to shake him. But after I slapped him in the chest, he began breathing again,” Jonsson’s stepdaughter, a nurse, told the Aftonbladet newspaper in Sweden

“They said he had low blood pressure and gave him a sandwich and a soda. And they made sure he paid for it,” she added regarding below-par cabin crew assistance.

After the situation was eventually brought under control, the family were surprised to see that there was no ambulance waiting for Jonsson, while the cabin crew had also requested payment for the sandwich and soft drink.

“In line with procedures for such cases, a Ryanair cabin crew suggested a diversion to the nearest airport or to have an ambulance on standby on arrival at Skavsta airport, so that the passenger could receive medical treatment,” Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said in a statement defending the action’s of the cabin crew.

“However, the passenger’s companion, who identified herself as a nurse, declined this offer.”