Stefanie Smith, a 41-year-old woman from Danville, Indiana, tragically passed away from a medical emergency while on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. The cause of her death was determined to be carotid artery dissection, according to her brother.
Stefanie had been on a couples trip to the Dominican Republic with her friend Maria Yannotti to celebrate a birthday. However, on their way back home, Stefanie suffered the medical emergency. Her boyfriend noticed that something was wrong when he saw her eyes rolled back and she started convulsing.
Despite efforts from a flight attendant to administer CPR, Stefanie could not be saved. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Turks and Caicos, where she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her family is now making arrangements to bring her body back to Indiana.
Described as caring and always putting others before herself, Stefanie’s brother, Chris Volz, expressed his grief over the loss of his sister. He shared that Stefanie lived life to the fullest and was doing what she loved in her final days – traveling.
The unexpected and tragic loss of Stefanie serves as a reminder to cherish every moment and live life to the fullest. Maria Yannotti emphasized the importance of treasuring each day and living as if it were your last.
The community has shown an outpouring of support for Stefanie’s family and friends during this difficult time. Stefanie will be remembered for her kind and caring nature, as well as her adventurous spirit that brought joy to those around her. May she rest in peace.