Seven rescued from Bering Sea
The Nome Nugget August 19, 1993 Alaska's Oldest Newspaper
By Karlin Itchoak and Nancy McGuire
Seven people are alive and well after being plucked from the icy waters of the Bering Sea. Friday the 13th at 7:26 p.m. Nome Flight Service received word that a plane was out of fuel and had declared an emergency and was approximately two miles west of the southwest corner of Sledge Island, about 13 miles off the coast and 20 miles west of Nome. At 7:31 the twin engine Piper Navaho owned by Missionary Aviation and Repair Center crashed into the water. In less than 30 seconds all passengers and the pilot were into the water. The plane sank almost immediately. The passengers were in the 45°-50°F water for about an hour, using empty fuel cans for flotation. Bering Air pilot Terry Day located the downed craft, Baker Aviation pilot Vie Olson assisted in holding the location, and helicopters piloted by Eric Penttila from Evergreen and Walter Greaves of ERA aviation responded with members of the Nome Volunteer Search and Rescue team member Randy Oles and Evergreen mechanic Jerry Austin on board.
Members of the Nome Army National Guard Unit (who had just returned from a mission at Galena) stood by at Nome and a second group of Nome Search and Rescue personnel responded by boat.
All people from the downed plane were plucked out of the water the strong arms of a Nome Volunteer fireman who reached out of a helicopter, shuttled to Sledge Island, and then to Evergreen's hangar, where they were met by Nome Volunteer Ambulance Service and the NVFD Search and Rescue and transported to Norton Sound Hospital in Nome by 9:01 p.m.
Maurice Ninham, senior vice-president of operations at NSRH said the hospital issued a Medical Emergency Alert within the community. Of the seven patients five were in the clinic being treated for first degree hypothermia with no apparent injuries... they were laughing and joking and seemed to be in good spirits considering the traumatizing circumstances. Two were in the emergency room, one of which was being treated for second degree hypothermia. Six were able to walk from the helicopters only one had the transported on a stretcher. Pamela M. Swedberg,30 of Soldotna; David L.C. Anderson,49, of Phoenix, Arizona; Cary R. Dietsche,35, of Amery, Wisconsin; Brian S. Brasher,24, of Okawville, Illinois; and Donald G. Wharton.41, of Madison. Tennessee were treated for hypothermia and released. Barbara Anderson,51, of Phoenix, and the pilot, David G, Cochran,70 of Kenai were admitted to the hospital were they were listed in stable condition and released Saturday. At the time of the accident the group, the first of four MARC planes, was returning from Lavrentia, Russia via Provideniya after completing a church mission. They were supposed to return to Nome on Thursday. They left Provideniya to clear U.S. Customs in Gambell and also hoped to refuel in Gambell, however fuel was unavailable to them in Gambell. Fuel is scarce in Provideniya, they had planned to shuttle additional fuel back to Provideniya for three other MARC planes awaiting return to Nome.
