Man who died of heart attack on plane 'too hairy' to save, says widow

The widow of a man who died of a heart attack on a US flight says her husband was not defibrillated because he was "too hairy".

US man Jack Jordan went into cardiac arrest on a Southwest Airlines flight from LA to New Mexico in April.

His wife Caroline told KOAT that while passengers performed CPR in an attempt to save her husband, he was denied a defibrillator because of his hairy chest.

"The flight attendant that had been right up there with us said because his chest is too hairy," she said.

Despite the efforts of passengers, Mr Jordan died aboard the flight.

A Southwest spokesperson told KOAT that they are investigating the incident.