Chandigarh, May 26 (IANS): A senior cardiovascular surgeon from Chandigarh on Friday helped a co-passenger, who had a cardiac arrest onboard a flight from Japan, to survive.

This incident took place onboard an Air India flight from Tokyo to Delhi.

The flight, on the advice of the cardiologist, was diverted to Kolkata where the patient was taken to hospital and saved but not before five hours of struggle to save the patient with the help of crew.

"We were not sure if we could get help if flight was directed to China so it was a daunting task to sustain the patient for five hours with whatever limited medical resources available on flight," surgeon Deepak Puri said on reaching New Delhi.

He said it was heartening that this could be achieved with support of the captain and crew of AI 307.

"On the heart attack of the patient, I did cardiopulmonary resuscitation and revived him but we were over sea and nearest destination was Kolkata - five hours away - so we had a daunting task of keeping him stable for five hours with minimum resuscitation resources," Puri told IANS.

The airlines arranged special permission for landing in Kolkata and an ambulance to take him to nearest cardiac hospital on arrival and was successful in transferring the patient safely.

"All the passengers and crew members gave me so much applause... brought tears to my eyes," an emotional Puri added.