Boeing whistleblower Joshua Dean has become the second whistleblower to die suddenly after speaking out to expose the company’s safety flaws, his family has confirmed.
45-year-old Dean’s family revealed that he died following a sudden illness.
On Friday, Dean’s mother said in a Facebook post that her son had contracted an MRSA infection.
He was reportedly hospitalized after the unexpected infection triggered a stroke and pneumonia.
She said that her son was “fighting for his life.”
Dean’s aunt Carol Parsons said the family was shocked that he was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) because he was in good health.
Parsons has since confirmed his death after he was declared to be in a critical condition.
“It was brutal what he went through…heartbreaking,” she told The Seattle Times.
Known as Josh, Dean lived in Wichita, Kansas, where Spirit is based.
He had been in good health and was noted for having a healthy lifestyle, the outlet notes.
His sudden decline started when he had trouble breathing which saw him put on a ventilator.
He was eventually put on an ECMO machine that takes over heart and lung function.
According to Parsons, Dean’s doctors were considering amputating both of