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Family’s Harrowing Night on Alaskan Lake Ends in Miraculous Rescue
Anchorage, Alaska — A father and his two young daughters are safe after a terrifying ordeal that saw them clinging to the wing of their downed plane for nearly half a day. The small aircraft crashed into the frigid waters of Tustumena Lake Sunday, leaving the family stranded until a Good Samaritan spotted them Monday morning.
After the plane, a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, failed to return from a sightseeing trip from Soldotna to Skilak Lake on Sunday, a frantic search began. John Morris, the girls’ grandfather and father of the pilot, took to social media early Monday, pleading for help in locating his family.
A dozen pilots answered the call, taking to the skies at daybreak to scour the challenging Alaskan terrain. Among them was Terry Godes, who spotted what he initially believed to be wreckage near the toe of a glacier on Tustumena Lake. As he drew closer, he was astonished to see three figures on the wing – alive and waving.
Godes immediately radioed his discovery, setting in motion a swift rescue by the Alaska Army National Guard. Another pilot, Dale Eicher, relayed Godes’ call to authorities, providing crucial coordinates.
Within an hour of the search commencing, the family was pulled from the partially submerged plane and transported to a hospital. They are expected to recover from their injuries.
The rescue was fraught with challenges. The strong winds generated by the helicopter initially made a hoist rescue too dangerous for the youngest daughter.
Instead, the aircraft hovered alongside the wing, allowing the family to be brought onboard safely. While the girls were remarkably dry, the pilot was found to be hypothermic, having been in the icy water at some point.
The family’s survival is being hailed as a series of miracles. From the plane remaining afloat to their enduring the frigid overnight temperatures in the 20s, luck seemed to be on their side. Godes acknowledged the numerous factors at play, describing their survival as a testament to their resilience in the face of a “long, cold, dark, wet night.”
Tustumena Lake, known for its unpredictable winds and challenging conditions, is a frequent route for small aircraft in this remote part of Alaska. While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board is working to gather information from the pilot. This incident underscores the risks inherent in navigating Alaska’s rugged landscape, where small planes are a vital mode of transportation.