Eleven people who survived a plane crash off Florida’s coast spent five agonizing hours floating in the ocean on a life raft Tuesday, unable to contact rescuers and uncertain whether anyone would find them. The group huddled beneath a tarp as storm clouds gathered overhead.
Military search and rescue teams eventually spotted them from above, according to officials who spoke at a Wednesday press conference.
“You could tell just by looking at them that 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 injuries that they sustained out there, not knowing if someone was going to rescue them.”
Officials said the Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop was traveling from Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco island in the Bahamas to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport when the engine failed Tuesday. The pilot brought the aircraft down in waters approximately 50 miles off Vero Beach, Florida, and successfully evacuated all 10 passengers onto a yellow life raft. Three people sustained minor injuries.
Air Force Reserve Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty praised the pilot’s emergency response, noting concerns about ocean swells and the need to reduce speed as much as possible before impact.
“I’ve not known anyone to survive a ditching in the ocean,” said Piowaty, who commanded a HC-130J Combat King II plane that assisted with the rescue. “From what I’ve seen, for all those people to survive is pretty miraculous.”
The aircraft’s emergency beacon notified the U.S. Coast Guard of its position. Fortunately, the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing had a crew conducting training exercises in a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter nearby. Officials redirected that crew to assist with the search operation.
After finding the survivors, Piowaty’s aircraft flew overhead and delivered a survival package containing two extra rafts, food and water. This allowed the group to spread out more comfortably. The HH-60W crew, including Whipple, then lifted each person to safety despite 3- to 5-foot ocean swells. They rescued the final survivor just minutes before the helicopter would have needed to return for fuel.
Piowaty reported no trace of the crashed aircraft was found.
Emergency medical teams were waiting when all 11 survivors arrived at Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Medical officials said everyone was in stable condition.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced it will conduct an investigation into the crash.
