A Minnesota lawyer died while traveling to the United Kingdom after she became unresponsive during a flight, according to SWNS.
Rachel Green, 44, was flying from Minneapolis to London on April 30, 2025, when she reportedly fell asleep resting on her mother’s shoulder. During the more than seven-hour journey, cabin crew members were unable to wake her, SWNS reported.
At an inquest held at West London Coroner’s Court, the court heard Green had multiple prescription medications in her system at the time of her death, along with an undiagnosed heart condition. The inquest heard that the combination likely contributed to her death, according to SWNS.
Senior Coroner Lydia Brown said there was “no evidence that Rachel had any opportunity to be resuscitated,” adding that her death “appears to have been instantaneous,” SWNS reported.
In a statement shared on a GoFundMe created after Green’s death, her sister, Roxanne Carney, said Green had spent the past few years recovering from an unexpected illness, relearning how to walk, and moving back to Minnesota to recuperate.
Carney also said Green previously received an “abnormal” heart test result, but claimed she “was never referred to a cardiologist” before being prescribed certain medications, according to SWNS.
Brown, however, said there was “no evidence” Green took any of her medications “in excess,” and also said there was “no evidence” she used drugs recreationally.
Green had been traveling to London to conduct research for a historical fiction book she was writing about Eleanor of Aquitaine, the former queen of France and England, Carney said. She added that she now hopes to complete the book in her sister’s memory, according to SWNS.
In her statement, Carney described Green as someone who “exuded unyielding strength and courage at even the most difficult times,” calling her a “saint” and “the best aunt in the world.”
“We are at the greatest loss as we piece together a life without her physically present but forever with us,” she wrote, adding that Green was “beyond selfless,” and known for caring for others and encouraging people to find joy in experiences like travel, theater, and time together.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 28, more than $5,000 had been raised through the GoFundMe launched after her death. The fundraiser states that donations will support Lakeshore Players Theatre in Minnesota—where Green recently “revisited her love of theatre”—and help fund a memorial at Golders Green Crematorium in London.
