so, Captain X lands with a formerly living passenger on board in Memphis way back in the day. The airport medics arrive but will not off load the load because they say they need the county coroner or someone from his office to show up and declare the dead weight offcially dead. Now this was before the airlines discovered the need to change planes (for the crews) at every hub stop, so Captain X and his crew 's next leg was in the aircraft that now had to wait till the local coroner showed up. At that point Captain X is reported to have made this argument:
you say no one is competent in this city to declare this person dead other than the coroner? Yes, he is told.
WEll then, since YOU dont know if this person is dead or alive, I suggest you get it to the nearest hospital ASAP.
thats was the story as it was told.