The 11 survivors of a plane crash off the coast of Florida floated in a life raft for five hours, unable to call for help and not knowing if anyone would come to save them. As a thunderstorm approaches, they gather under a tarp for whatever protection it may offer.
Then U.S. military search and rescue crews appeared overhead, the personnel recalled at a news conference Wednesday.
“Just looking at them, you could tell they were in distress physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Air Force Capt. Rory Whipple, a combat rescue specialist who jumped into the water and swam to the survivors. “You have to imagine the emotional damage they’re suffering out there, not knowing if anyone is going to come and save them.”
Authorities said the plane, a Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop, suffered an engine failure while en route from Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport on Tuesday. The pilot made an emergency landing in water about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off Vero Beach, Florida, and managed to get the 10 passengers on board, three of whom suffered minor injuries, onto yellow life rafts.
Air Force Reserve Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty applauded the efforts, saying pilots would be concerned about rising sea levels and slow their planes as safely as possible before impact.
“As far as I know, no one has survived a ditching at sea,” said Piovati, who commanded an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft that assisted in the rescue. “As far as I know, it’s a miracle that all these people survived.”
The downed plane’s emergency beacon notified the U.S. Coast Guard of its location. At that time, aircrews from the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing were already conducting training missions on an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter. Crews were directed to help with the search.
After locating survivors, Piovati said her plane flew overhead and dropped a survival kit that included two other life rafts, food and water. The survivors were then spread out and the HH-60W crew (including Whipple) was able to hoist them to safety in 3 to 5 foot (1 to 1.5 meter) waves, rescuing the last survivor minutes before the helicopter was forced to refuel.
Piovatti said there was no sign of the downed aircraft.
All 11 survivors were flown to Melbourne’s Orlando International Airport to await emergency medical services, authorities said. All are reported to be in stable condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the crash.
