3 People Rescued From Icy Alaskan Lake After Their Plane Went Missing

Three people are safe after a terrifying plane crash. Late on the evening of March 23, Alaska State Troopers received a report of an overdue Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser aircraft, according to a press release.

Officials quickly began combing the area of Tustumena Lake and Kenai Mountains with the help of the Rescue Coordination Center and Coast Guard AC-130. Twelve hours later, a good samaritan aircraft located the plane wreckage near the eastern side of Tustemena Lake. 

The National Guard told ABC News that the plane missed the main lake. It instead settled amid a glacial field and a large body of water, per the outlet.

After the aircraft was located, the Alaska Army National Guard rescued the adult male pilot and two juvenile passengers. The three people were taken to a Kenai Peninsula area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

A spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers told NBC News that the three people rescued were immediate family members. Meanwhile, the troopers told Alaska’s News Source that the plane’s two passengers were elementary and middle school ages.

Dennis Hogenson, who’s with the National Transportation Safety Board, told the latter outlet that it’s unclear what caused the crash. He said they now plan to interview the pilot and work to recover the aircraft.

Good Samaritan in Plane Crash Rescue Speaks Out

Good Morning America reported that the trio stood on the wreckage in “bitterly cold conditions” after their plane crashed.

Terry Godes, who was searching the area thanks to information from cell phone pings, was the Good Samaritan who first spotted the wrecked plane and its passengers.

“I could see kind of a dark spot,” Godes told GMA. “I could tell it was an airplane wing, so I made an announcement on the radio that I think I may have spotted them… There were three people on top of the wing. It was really good to see.”

“They spent a very cold, long, dark, wet night out on top of a wing of an airplane on soft ice. It’s a miracle,” he added. “When I first saw the wing out there it broke my heart because I know what happens when airplanes break through the ice. Fortunately, they got out of the airplane in time.”