- A mom was found unresponsive in her seat and couldn't be woken on a long-haul flight, a friend said.
- Helen Rhodes, 46 died with her "devastated" family around her after eight hours of unconsciousness.
- They were relocating from Hong Kong to the UK. A fundraiser has raised more than $25,000.
A British mother of two died unexpectedly on a long-haul flight after falling into a "breathless sleep" mid-air on a journey from Hong Kong to the UK, according to a family friend.
Helen Rhodes was found unresponsive in her seat on August 5 a few hours after she, her children, and her husband took off, friend Jayne Jeje wrote in a fundraising post for the family.
"Despite all efforts, Helen was not able to be resuscitated," Jeje wrote. "This all unfolded in front of her children."
According to Jeje, Rhodes lay asleep for a further eight hours before she died.
"Although this was extremely traumatizing to the family, they all had time to say what they needed to say to her," Jeje wrote.
As of Sunday, Jones' body was situated in Frankfurt where the plane had landed, while her bereaved family returned to the UK, Jeje wrote.
The cause of death is unclear. "We are still in disbelief and shock," wrote Jeje, whose fundraiser has so far brought in more than £21,000 ($25, 400). One of the dozens of donors was a crew member from the flight, according to The Times of London.
Per the fundraising page, that money will go towards funeral expenses, supporting the family, and creating "a legacy in honour of Helen."
Rhodes and her family were traveling to relocate to the UK after 15 years living in Tung Chung, Hong Kong, Jeje wrote. There, she said, Rhodes was "the pulse of her community" and an early member of a mothers' group known as Tung Chung Mums.
Numerous locals in a Tung Chung-focused Facebook group remembered Rhodes warmly and offered condolences.
"Helen was one of a kind, a gem [...] who was loved by so many," wrote Jeje, praising her creativity and sharp mind. Rhodes trained as a midwife and had started a business making bows and accessories, she said.
Rhodes died at the age of 46, and the family was from Maidenhead, Berkshire, in southeast England, per The Times of London.
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which deals with repatriating the remains of British people, confirmed the mid-air death to Insider.
Without naming Rhodes, a spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who died on a flight to Frankfurt and are in contact with the local authorities."