"[W]hen a man suddenly began to shout vulgarities and became violent... two other passengers, relying on zip ties, duct tape and sheer will, restrained the disruptive man until the authorities could board the plane and take him into custody."

I'm reading "Unruly Passenger Is Restrained With Duct Tape During a Flight/The passenger on an American Airlines flight began to shout vulgarities and then became violent on Thursday, the authorities said. That’s when two passengers stepped in" (NYT gift link).

Richard O’Lenick, 53, one of the passengers who restrained Mr. Lundeen, said in a phone interview on Saturday that Mr. Lundeen began to shout racial slurs at one of the flight attendants.... Mr. Lundeen struck the laptop of the man next to him, and then grabbed the man’s throat, Mr. O’Lenick said. When a woman in a seat ahead of the scuffle tried to intervene, Mr. Lundeen started to attack her as well.

That’s when Mr. O’Lenick and Juan Mejia...  jumped into action from their seats two rows ahead.... The self-defense training both men have practiced was vital for the next 10 minutes, as Mr. Lundeen violently struggled, screamed that the plane was going down and bit Mr. Mejia on his hand, Mr. O’Lenick said. 

That’s when a flight attendant brought duct tape, which Mr. Mejia wrapped around Mr. Lundeen’s body and seat, restraining his head as well. “The entire time the flight attendants were present,” Mr. O’Lenick said. “They were advising throughout the process.”

It was up to the passengers, but in the end a flight attendant brought the duct tape. Otherwise, the flight attendants "were present" and "advising." We understand what O'Lenick is saying.