Woman died on mercy flight from Gran Canaria to Knock

A POST mortem examination has been carried out at Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar, on a 74-year-old Swedish woman who died aboard an air ambulance en route to Ireland West Airport Knock from the Canary Islands.

The woman, named as Marianne Ahlstrom from the Stockholm area, died about half an hour into the flight to Knock on Saturday last, it has been confirmed.

After dropping off a male holidaymaker from Co. Mayo who was also serously ill, the air ambulance was then to proceed to Sweden.

Following the woman's death a decision was taken to bring her to Mayo University Hospital where a post mortem has established that she died from natural causes.

The remains are still in the hospital. It is understood they will be cremated and the ashes returned to the woman's family at a later date.