From your link:
YAMAMOTO REPORT:
A. My Observations Before the Accident
1 buckled my seat belt and was talking with Loretta about some of the Issues that came up during our visit to Kalaupapa. 1 remember the pilot saying something about-the test was who remembered his name-someone said Clyde. We then took off -a few minutes into the flight I remember hearing a loud beeping sound and saw the plane started to go down. I could see that the plane was getting closer to the water~we then hit the water. I then remember seeing water coming Into the front part of the plane.
B. My Observations During the Accident
1 remember hearing people saying get the door open. I then saw people with their life vest on -and asked where were the life vests and someone said in the seat pocket. I put the life vest on and went to the back of the plane I then tried to blow up the vest. I was at the plane door and was passing seat cushions out to people, Loretta came out of the plane with her life vest on I started to blow up her vest-she then pulled the cord that filled her vest. I saw the pilot and he was bleeding from his head - he said we needed to get away from the plane. We got in the water -and I pulled the cord and fully inflated my vest. I remember seeing the pilot swim by he kept saying stay together. When we got in the water it started to get rough and the group got separated. I had lost my glasses and was having a hard
time seeing - we were trying to swim and stay close to the group. Loretta was not really saying anything but was breathing very hard and fast- I saw that her eyes were open and her legs were moving~ - I kept saying be calm and float We kept swimming for a while toward the others and tried to stay above the waves and avoid swallowing water. I then thought I saw a boat in the distance and I remember saving a boat was coming- and we tried to swim toward the boat -1 then realized that I may have been seeing things and a boat was not coming. I then realized that Loretta’s eyes were closed and she was no longer breathing hard- 1 remember seeing her hand floating in the water and she was no longer holding on to me-l kept saying we will be ok and to keep calm. I then realized that I needed to do something to get help. The shore looked close so I decided to swim to shore. I took off my shoes, socks and pants then tried to swim to shore but the life vest kept pullfng me upward -1 then started to get cramps in my right leg. I realized that 1 was not going to make it to shore and that the current and waves had pulled Loretta away. The waves were getting higher and I kept trying to keep my head above the waves and to avoid swallowing water. I then remember seeing planes and helicopters flying above. Then a helicopter with a rescue basket and diver arrived and pulled me out of the water and put me on shore.
C. Observations After the Accident
When the diver pulled me out of the water I remember my leg cramping up again he then asked myname. I asked him If they had gotten Loretta-he said they were still working on getting people out.
Several staff and patlents·from Kalaupapa were on shore they gave me blankets and I told them that the Director was still out there. Two other passengers were on shore- we were taken to the airport where nurses and rescue staff were helping people. They asked If I was hurt -1 said I was ok -only had a c:ramp In my leg. I then saw a women covered in blankets and thought she was Loretta and asked her if she
was ok -1 realized that it was not her. I then saw Mark Miller the Kalaupapa administrator and asked if
Loretta was ok -he said that they were still rescuing people and he did not k.now, he then later told me
that she was ok and was being flown to Honolulu. One of the Kalaupapa residents got me some dry clothes. Then a few minutes later Mark told me that Loretta did not make it. I asked Mark if he know where she was and I needed to see her-I also asked to see the Kalaupapa Catholic: priest. I spoke wfth the Catholic priest and told him that Loretta did not make it and that she was a devote catholic and
would he please do last rites. Mark then took me to the Kalaupapa facility-the staff where working on cleaning loretta and the priest was giving the last rites. The staff gave me Loretta’s person items. Mark drove me to airport and I returned to Honoh.llo.
D. Other Observations
I do not remember the pilot giving us any safety instruction prior to take off. The package that the life
vest was in was difficult to open. The life vest was very tight on my neck and I was surprised how difficult it was to remove when I got on shore. The next day I realized that my lower jaw and collar area was sore from the pressure of the life vest. Even with the life vest on 1 was surprised how much effort was needed to keep my head above the waves and to avoid swallowing water. 1 also realized that 1 did
not have the life vest belt during most of the time in the water.
From the Yamamoto report; Yamamoto speaking here:
“...I then saw Mark Miller the Kalaupapa administrator and asked if Loretta was ok -he said that they were still rescuing people and he did not know, he then later told me
that she was ok and was being flown to Honolulu.
One of the Kalaupapa residents got me some dry clothes.
Then a few minutes later Mark told me that Loretta did not make it. ...
From the Maui News Briley story by Sugidono:
“...After some time, the Coast Guard picked up Fuddy and placed her beside Briley. He feared the worst when he noticed her brown hair, which looked identical to his wife’s.
...
Briley said Fuddy appeared to be “expired,” but he believed she was still alive. Some survivors believe she had died while waiting to be rescued.
“It was clear that she was unconscious, but her face was warm, which surprised me,” he said. “I thought about that afterwards: did she drown and could I have done something?” ...”
Both Mark Miller and Briley above (and possibly the coast guard rescuers) spoke as if Fuddy was alive after being picked up.
And there was a case of mistaken identity: from the Yamamoto report above, Fuddy had been put next to Mr. Briley, and Ms. Briley ended up near Yamamoto. (The excerpt below is also from the Yamamoto report; Yamamoto speaking)
“...I then saw a women covered in blankets and thought she was Loretta and asked her if she was ok -1 realized that it was not her. ...”