Miracle In Alaska: Pilot And Two Children Found Alive After Plane Crash On Icy Lake
March 26, 2025
Today's good news story comes from Anchorage, Alaska.
A group of Good Samaritans in Alaska is being praised for their heroic efforts in helping save a pilot and two children who survived a plane crash on a frozen lake.
Terry Godes (right) / ABC News
The small aircraft, a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, was reported overdue Sunday night near Tustumena Lake and the Kenai Mountains, close to Homer, according to the Associated Press.
After nearly 12 hours of searching, volunteer pilot Tyler Godes spotted the wreckage. "I saw the wing up there, it broke my heart. I know what happens when airplanes break through the ice," Godes said. Seeing the plane partially submerged, he initially feared the worst, assuming no one had survived.
Dale Eicher, a local with search and rescue experience, had just started his own search when he heard the downed plane had been found over the radio. Realizing the person who spotted it might not have cell service, Eicher quickly contacted Alaska State Troopers.
“I called the troopers immediately because I was still in cell service and I knew it was a really good chance that the guy that had found him was not in cell service,” Eicher told KTUU. “I was really shocked. I didn’t expect that we would find them. I didn’t expect that we would find them alive for sure … it doesn’t always turn out this well.”
Scott Holmes, a family friend, credited the community's swift response with helping locate the survivors. After he shared a call for help on Facebook, the post was shared over 400 times.
“My daughter told me there were 420 shares on my post,” Holmes said. “I‘m proud of the guys that stepped up and went out and helped out.”
Once rescuers reached the crash site, the pilot and two children—who are immediate family members—were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel confirmed.
Dennis Hogenson, Western Pacific Region Chief of the National Transportation Safety Board, described the rescue as “remarkable and good news.”
Watch the video below:
Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz
These Cat Reactions To Owners Calling Them Through Security Cameras Are Absolutely Hilarious
Teen Mom Shares The Note A Nurse Left for Her At 16 — Years Later, The Story Comes Full Circle
Taylor Swift’s High School Ex Had The Funniest Take On Her Engagement News
Real People Recall The Moments That Brought Them The Purest Joy
Yes, A Screaming Hairy Armadillo Exists — And He Just Moved To Mississippi
Anniversary Gift Goes Hilariously Wrong — Or Maybe Perfectly Right
These Cat Reactions To Owners Calling Them Through Security Cameras Are Absolutely Hilarious
They Noticed A Stray Dog Staring At A Toy In The Claw Machine, So They Won It For Her
Kind Man Rescues Puppies, And The Mom’s Reaction Says It All
You Won’t Believe How Cute This Snow Leopard Cub Is On Her First Adventure
Andrea Bocelli Joins Queen Legend Brian May For Unforgettable Duet
