Loving and playful: this is how businessman Ramon Marchiori, 48, defined his son Diogo Pompermayer Marchiori. The teenager died on Thursday (5), after suffering a cardiac arrest on a flight that left Vitória Airport, in Espírito Santo, bound for Guarulhos, in São Paulo.
In an exclusive interview with g1, Ramon said that his son was very attached to his family. At 13 years old, he had a routine that included school, playing with his younger brother, who was 4 years old, and traveling with his parents.
The relationship with his family was one of the characteristics most remembered by his father. Diogo was affectionate with his parents and his younger brother, with whom he used to play. At school, he was also loved by his classmates. "He was a very pleasant boy. It was really difficult to say a bad word", he said.
Passion for Botafogo
A Botafogo fan, he also shared his father's passion for football, said the businessman. The passion for Botafogo resulted in one of the most special memories between father and son. The two traveled by bus to Argentina, in 2024, to watch the Libertadores final, when the team faced Atlético Mineiro and emerged champion.
"It was three days on the road on the way there and another three on the way back. The experience was marked in my memory. It was the greatest joy of my life and his too", he recalled.
Treatment from childhood
The heart problem was monitored from the first months of life. According to his father, shortly after being discharged from the maternity ward, Diogo showed changes in his breathing and heartbeat. The family took him for treatment in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the southern region of the state, where he was hospitalized for 20 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). During hospitalization, tests identified an infection caused by hospital bacteria.
After being discharged, Diogo began undergoing medical follow-up in the municipality. Over the years, he maintained treatment and used medication, but, according to his father, he led an active life: he attended school, played and traveled — and had already taken flights to England, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo.
The trip to the state of São Paulo, on Thursday (5), was also related to Diogo's treatment. On the recommendation of the doctor who accompanied him in Cachoeiro, the family sought a specialist at Albert Einstein Hospital, in the capital of São Paulo, to continue monitoring and evaluate possible changes in medication. According to the father, the consultation had been planned for more than two years.
Airborne symptoms and faulty equipment
According to Ramon, his son embarked on Thursday (5) feeling well. "We went on many family trips. We went to Belo Horizonte and even abroad, to England. And Diogo never felt bad", said the businessman.
The businessman said that, after in-flight service, his son ate a cookie, slept for a while and, upon waking up, told his mother that he felt a very strong pain in his chest. Then he fell unconscious.
"After that, my wife and I started screaming, asking for help. The flight attendants took us to the back of the plane to start first aid, along with two other nurses who were on the flight," he said.
According to Ramon, the crew brought two oxygen cylinders, but neither of them contained oxygen. He also stated that the defibrillator was working but only had a 4% battery.
"The crew brought two oxygen cylinders. Both had no air, no oxygen inside. And the defibrillator, which was working, only had a 4% battery," he said.
Ambulance delay and lack of stairs
The teenager's father also said that, when the plane landed in Guarulhos, there was no ambulance on the airport runway, despite the pilot having requested the service. According to him, when the ambulance arrived, the team still had to wait for the stairs to become available, which were about 15 meters from the aircraft, but had not been connected to the plane.
The businessman told g1 that he even threatened to jump from the aircraft to speed up the service.
“I started screaming that I was going to jump out of the aircraft, and my wife told me to jump and go get the ladder,” he said.
Ramon said that, after the threat, a group of agents working on the runway took the stairs to the aircraft. Then, Diogo was transported to the ambulance. According to the businessman, the journey to the hospital took less than seven minutes. He stated, however, that the ambulance only had a rescuer and a nurse.
"When we arrived at the hospital, Diogo was already lifeless. The doctors still tried to revive him with the defibrillator, but, unfortunately, he didn't survive", he reported.
Passenger reports delay in helping
A passenger, who did not want to be identified, recorded a video during the rescue, when the plane had already landed. In the recording, he reported an alleged delay in responding to rescuers. “Look at how slow the ambulance staff are,” he said in the recording.
The other side
The teenager's father told g1 that Gol representatives went to the hospital and provided support to the family. According to him, the airline also paid for the transfer of the body to Espírito Santo.
When asked about the equipment failures, Gol reported that "all protocols for this type of situation were followed and the passenger was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Guarulhos."
The GRU Airport concessionaire stated that "the GRU Airport emergency response team was called and, following safety protocols, provided first aid and took the passenger to the nearest hospital."
