Posted on 01/10/2014 1:52:43 PM PST by The Sons of Liberty
A month after a small plane crash in Hawaii, a surviving passenger shows GoPro footage and even a selfie taken during the ordeal.
Would you have done the same? Ferdinand Puentes was one of nine passengers in a 2002 Cessna Grand Caravan which suddenly suffered engine failure off Kalaupapa, Molokai in Hawaii last month. As he heard the engine fail and saw the plane heading for the water, one of his first instincts was to turn on his GoPro camera and film what might have been his own demise. As KHON-TV reports, Puentes knew the danger he was in, yet the decision to film as much as possible might perplex a few. He managed to get out of the plane alive and survived the crash. However, while he was floating on a seat cushion and wearing his life raft, he took a selfie.
Was the impulse to record just a natural reaction? After all, any bystander or news organization would have likely done the same thing. And these days everyone is using their phones to film just about everything they see. But wouldn't one's first instinct be to try to contact family and friends to say goodbye? Perhaps that did happen. The footage reflects a quite stunning lack of panic. The passengers behave in an orderly manner. There is no screaming or pushing. No one seems frantic at all. Loretta Fuddy, Hawaii's 65-year-old state director of health, died in the crash, despite managing to leave the plane. In watching Puentes talk to KHON-TV, though, it's evident that the footage brings back painful memories. Would everyone want to have such ready access to a reminder? Or would some prefer to forget? "You could have died," Puentes told KHON-TV. "There's so much variations that could have happened for the worse."
OK. Maybe it was rougher waters closer to shore.
Where is the link to his report? I thought he was picked up at the same spot as the others.
Did the 71 year old that swam to shore have any report on his swim?
And he and his wife look a lot lighter in the photographs with the Cessna, it's the bright sunlight I imagine. He's either got very dark skin or he's deeply tanned - must work out in the sun all day?
Are you combining the swimmer with the cameraman? Camera man i his thirties said he was weighed down by the clothing you described. Swimmer in his seventies didn’t think had that problem
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3110483/posts?page=324#324
check out #324 & #325
That will remind you what Puentes wrote and show you his photographs compared to the person on the bed, who appears to be a young man.
the film guy had an interesting interview. i posted this earlier on the thread but some may have missed it.
http://savvystews.com/2014/01/08/savvystews-exclusive-surviving-a-ditching-in-the-pacific-ocean/
Living in the desert I will not go in our pool unless the water temp. is at least 88 because of the low humidity. When we lived back east water temp. of 72 felt refreshing because of the higher humidity. Hawaii is pretty humid so water temp. of high 70's should feel pretty good. JMHO, for what it's worth.
Also hadn't seen the picture where he is on the plane wing. If that is a selfie, it's a strange one where he is looking straight ahead and the picture is from the side. It looks more like he handed the camera to someone else to take a picture.
The 71 year old must be in better shape than Ferdinand. It would be interesting to hear his story. Didn't sound like the 71 year old received any medical attention.
Thanks, machogirl. Must’ve missed it earlier. Now we know that Puentes was put in a neck brace as a precaution. He probably felt cold once he got into the helicopter because of the wind the blades cause. Didn’t hear before that he also tried to swim to shore.
I would like to see the 71 year old’s story just to compare. It may have been a rough swim for him, but he may just be in great shape.
When did Ferdinand first release this video?
Going from memory I think the first time I saw it was on FR was last Friday. FReeper machogirl has a recount of Puentes in post #406 that’s dated Jan. 8. Maybe it was out before then although I doubt it ‘cause it would’ve made it on FR.
Thanks for reposting (too much too fast)
Posting the entire article for those who might have missed it:
from January 8, updated January 9:
REPORTED ON SAVVYSTEWS.COM & BY BOBBY LAURIE ON HUFFPOST FIRST! BEFORE CNN, ABC AND ALL HAWAIIAN NEWS OUTLETS!
We’ve all read the stories and seen the images of the passengers and crew on board US Airways flight 1549 that fateful day when the Airbus A320 ditched in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds. Now it’s happened again with a smaller passenger aircraft off the shores of Hawaii. Sadly, not everyone survived.
A survivor’s amazing story
A Makani Kai Air flight, flown by a Cessna Grand Caravan to Honolulu from Kalaupapa, Molokai ditched into the ocean on December 11, 2013. Loretta Fuddy was one of the passengers. Though her name might not sound familiar you’ve heard about her — she’s the Hawaiian health official who approved the release of President Obama’s birth certificate. She was the only passenger that didn’t survive.
Ferdinand Puentes was one of the survivors. He had been working on Kalaupapa and was flying back to Honolulu. For him, this was routine. He had taken this flight many times prior to December 11th. On that day, though, he turned on his Go-Pro camera to film take-off, having earlier filmed a landing. Instead, his camera captured the harrowing accident from start to finish.
Ferdinand has allowed us to publish his photographs along with his account of what happened on board:
We were taking off and about 2 minutes into the flight with a slight left turn and gradual climb to reach our destine altitude of 6,000ft. there was a loud pop/bang noise from our single engine plane. Then, silence befell on us all with realization of what’s about to happen.
We’re in shock.
The plane was still in in-flight and banking left, the pilot then steered the plane towards land and leveled the plane steady. There were no screams and no one panicked. It was surreal, as if a slow motion spell was on me as I switched my views from watching the pilots effort to glide the plane, to the passengers & then view of the ocean that is ascending closer through the viewport of the plane very quickly.
View from the window as the plane approached the ocean. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
It took about 30 seconds from an altitude (in my opinion) of approximately 1,000-1,500ft to impact into the ocean.
Mr. Puentes’ window after impact. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
I was fumbling trying to get the life jacket out of the sealed bag and donning it. There were too many things to worry about that your heart and your soul can’t keep up to match the pace of your own thinking at that moment. As I was ready to step out I looked into the cabin of the plane one last time if everyone is alright and egress the plane. The look of shock has instill them all. As I stepped out into the ocean, I noticed how strong the energy of the current and swells of the ocean is. One of the key factors that made me calm in the ocean is that I am very comfortable within the oceans caress. I am a spear fisherman since my youth, so I swam up to and held on to the wing of the plane.
[CLICK TO ENLARGE]
Ferdinand Puentes holding onto the wing after ditching [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
As I wait at the end of the wing of the plane, I watched a pair of the passengers proceed towards me.
One of them asked me to assist her with her life vest, so I did. As I helped her with the vest around her collar I’ve notice I was sinking. I haven’t inflated my life vest, I’m trying desperately to stay afloat but it was very difficult to do with steel toe boots, heavy denim jeans and long sleeve work clothes. I couldn’t continue to wrap the strap of the vest around her as I was in my own predicament trying to get situated myself. I also didn’t have mine on properly.
The other survivors [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
All of the passengers including the pilot has exited the plane. I pulled one of the cord to auto inflate the first chamber of my vest so I could stay afloat. Realizing that I couldn’t stay buoyant still, the pilot who was floating with a seat cushion handed his flotation device to me.
Another shocking moment came to me as I’ve noticed how much blood was covering his face. He had given instructions to stay together and not to hold on to the plane, just to be safe so it doesn’t sink with people holding on.
The HERO Pilot who surrendered his own life-vest to a passenger. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
Within a minute of releasing the plane, the current of the ocean has drifted us away from the crash site.
We were about half mile out from land. In my thought process I told myself “I can make that swim”. So, I said I’m going to try and head towards the shore. Another person was about to do the same trek to shore. Thats when we broke away from the group to make it to shore. I was constantly mumbling to myself that “I swam farther than this before, I can make it!”
Within ten minutes or so since impact, there was a plane that came into view and made itself known to us. That was a defining moment in that time, that hope has befell upon us. There was a overwhelming joy within me that someone knew we were in danger and could call for a rescue.
My attempt to swim to shore was very exhausting, my laces on one my boots were becoming undone and were about to slip off. I wanted to take my clothing off down to my board shorts so I could swim better. But with the water being cold and the surge of the waves slamming onto the reef, I decided not to. I didn’t want to have hyperthermia or tumbling on the sharp rocky shoreline.
Mr. Puentesas he attempted to swim ashore. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
Just as I was resting by my lonesome, here comes a Humpback whale breaking the waterline near me to breathe about 50ft or so. I screamed loudly mistakingly thinking I was going to be just like a seal being launched up from a Great White Shark or something. But at that brief moment as the whale peered at me with its eye and I gazed back at his knowing that there is some type of intelligence and understanding it held, that it felt as it pierced my soul.
It was a ephemeral swim together. As I settled from that whale experience I just floated there for a while, thinking of all my children, family & friends. I prayed that I wanted to hold them one last time. I just wanted to cry, thinking for the worst that was going to happen. Doubt has snuck into me. A long moment has pass… the plane has been constantly flying over us still continue to assure us there is hope. Next came a helicopter hovering over the group which was at that time appears to be about 2 miles away from where I am.
The plane that came into view and made itself known to the survivors. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]
As both the plane and the helicopter flying over us I continued again to swim to shore. I was around 50 yards away from shore, but the energy of the wave hitting the rocky cliff created a backwash which made it very difficult to get to shore. On shore there was a guy trying to direct me to a safer place to get on shore, to a place where the surf wasn’t as rough. I attempted to swim in the direction he commanded but the surge has broken my will.In my exhausted state, I noticed there was two more helicopter and the Coast Guard C-130 that were in the sky also. It made my hope and adrenaline start back up again. I watched the smaller helicopter with a cargo net type basket with a rescue swimmer in it plucking people out of the group that is far away from me. When it had returned and veered to my location I was in joy but yet exhausted mentally and physically. I almost didn’t have the strength to grab on to the rescue swimmer that guided me into the basket.When we were up dangling in the basket, it gave me a view to see the smoke signals that were the spot of the group. They were far, far away. As soon as I landed and gotten out of the basket, a paramedic came and guided me into the chair within the airport. I was shivering and it hurts. It looks as if the whole community were there to help. I got covered in blankets immediately before I’ve taken a seat. I took off my clothes till my board short were left so I could become dry faster and heat up quicker also.As I was being treated, I looked for the other survivors an asked if they’re okay, but I didn’t asked out loud in speaking. I asked with just a look and was answered and confirmed with their expression. We survived!The adrenaline in me starts to ease down, the pain and throbbing on my neck, shoulder and back is coming on fast. Every shiver from being cold is hurting. I’ve complained about it earlier and came with a neck brace and a board to strap me down so I don’t rotate my neck or spine.Just to be safe. I was loaded into the helicopter headed to Honolulu. That ride was rough in the beginning, my neck, shoulders and back was hurting from the vibrations of the helicopter. As the time went by the vibration of it soon felt like a massage. So we arrived at the airport in Honolulu waiting to be transferred to the ambulance and headed to Queens Hospital.
Thankfully, after the tests at the hospital were completed Mr. Puentes was cleared of any neck or spine injuries.
It’s unimaginable what one would do in a situation like this. Because of its size, this particular aircraft is not required to have flight attendants on board. Flight attendants are trained in emergency procedures and would impart instructions before and during the evacuation. The pilots on this aircraft did a stellar job getting this aircraft into the water as intact as possible, notifying the passengers of the location of their life vests and getting them evacuated from the aircraft.
We would like to thank Mr. Puentes for sharing his story and incredible photos.
welcome. Amazing what the mind remembers in a stressful situation. When I first read this, I was struck by the whale description.
Thanks for posting the article.
Interesting details. What the mind remembers may be so different from another’s account.
It would be interesting to hear/read his account.
I thought it best to post it here because sometimes, things disappear on the net. I think it needs to be remembered that maybe an hour or more passed by between Puentes taking the first shots on the video, and when he was finally picked up.
It also seems to clearly show that it was Puentes who we see on that bed, wrapped up in the hospital.
Looks like him. The shot of him on the wing. He must have a long arm.
“Right, because a 65 year old woman dieing after a stressful event like a plane crash is unheard of!”
Can you think of a routine way for this woman to die that wouldn’t be determined by an autopsy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.