April 20, 1986

[Rerun]

Twenty years ago today, our small plane went down in the Selkirk Mountains in Northern Idaho.  My husband (now ex), Mother-in-law (now ex) Father-in-law (now...okay, okay) were traveling to see their family in Ellensburg Washington.  We made a flight plan, but didn't get high enough or far enough to activate it.

It was a bright spring day but a little windy in the mountains.  We got caught in a down draft and it was forcing us right into the face of a mountain.  We were in a little cloud and couldn't see anything.  Then we heard a BANG and the plane hit something.  Then I saw trees coming at me and I heard my Husband say "oh shit."  I'm convinced that is the last words of any pilot.  We were down!  Later we learned that what we heard was the tail as it hit the face of the cliff and fell off as we bounced over the top.  We were within inches of disaster.

I remember looking at the controls and seeing the little horizon plane spinning.  The wings were broken and fuel was dumping on me.  My chair was ripped out of the bottom and we literally picked it up and set it in the snow.  My father in-law was not answering.  Come to find out he had broken ribs and a punchered lung.  He also had lost a shoe since the belly of the plane was ripped open and their legs were jammed in the snow.  I started singing "Jesus Loves Me."  Everyone joined in.  We all got out and evaluated the situation.  My mother-in-law had something wrong with her leg.  Later we found out she had ripped all the legitimates in her knee and she had to have surgery.

I was fine at that point.  I got hurt later on.  My Father-in-law, being the "mountain man" decided he would find our way out.  So, we gathered what we could, a very colorful afghan that someone knitted with big holes in it.  An emergency kit with food, matches and we found a hat that I wore and a pair of panty hose that my father-in-law wore over his head.  (what a sight)

We started down the snow packed mountain.  My husband ran back and turned on the Emergency Locater Transmitter (ELT).  It could have blown up the plane since it is electric and there was fuel covering everything.  But, thank God it didn't, and thank God my husband thought to turn it on manually. 

I was walking with my father-in-law and my husband was helping his Mom try to walk.  The mountain was very steep, so we decided to slide on our backs.  I had a slick ski coat on and went flying.  My father-in-law went too.  When we got to the bottom of the hill we looked up and saw that my husband and his Mom were having trouble.  We yelled that we were going to get help and they were going to stay and build a fire.  They had the emergency kit and we didn't have anything but the afghan and my mother-in-laws purse.  They were NOT going to leave her purse behind because it had money in it.  I was thinking, "who would steel it up here"?  Bigfoot?

Oh my gosh..... I'm tired of typing.  I'll have to finish this later.  Sorry if there are mistakes... I'll fix them later.

[kevno]

What an experience that much have been Rerun. What a read! You must finish it now!

Kevno

[susie q]

I am totally in suspense here... what happened?   Obviously you lived to tell the tale.. Lol.. 

[Black]

I can't stand the suspense ... what happened?!?  You obviously survived but what happened that you got hurt later?!?

[Rerun]

OK..OK.... Plane Crash Part II.

It started to get dark about 6:00 PM up there.  We had heard an airplane earlier that day, along with avalanches.  The airplane was the Airport manager from our home field in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.  Evidently, Scott Airforce Base in Illinois heard/saw the signal from our ELT on their Radar screen.  They called Boise, ID and said "you have a plane down in Idaho."  Every 90 minutes it honed in closer to our wrecked plane.  Next, they said "you have a plane down in North Idaho".  Next, they said "you have a plane down in Boundary County"  BINGO! 

By this time my father-in-law and I were 6 miles away from my husband and his Mom.  We needed to stop when it got dark.  I tried to break some tree boughs so we would have something to sit on.  That is when I got hurt.  I was pushing on this tree and I slipped and it hit me in the face.  Only split my lip, not a big deal.  Plus, we kept falling through the snow, so I was pretty bruised up.  I laid down and wanted to die.  I wanted the hypothermia to set in so I would get HOT!  I heard that happens.  But, my Father-in-law made me get up and he stood on his knees and put me in front of him.  I gave him my hat because I had hair and he didn't.  A few hours into the night I heard a HELICOPTER!!  I went running out into a clearing and was waiving my arms.  I had a black coat but the inside was hot pink and I had turned it inside out so someone could see me against the white snow.  The helicopter went right over me the spot light was right in front of me.  Then it flew away.  I felt distraught and just then I broke through the snow into a creek.  I was soaked up to my thighs in ice water.  I got out and went back and sat down.  Later on I tried to get up and my jeans were frozen. 

In the mean time both our families were frantic.  My uncle, a Colonel from WWII, called Fairchild Airforce Base in Spokane, Washington and ordered a search and rescue chopper to look for us.  Clouds had moved in and they couldn't see anything.  Word has it that our family gathered hands and prayed for the clouds to part.  They did, and the chopper got in and spotted the fire where my husband and mother-in-law were.  They were able to land and get them out that night. 

Early the next morning, after a sleepless night, and 24 hours into this thing, I heard hollering!  I can whistle really loud with my two fingers.  They heard me but their voices were getting farther away, not closer.  I guess they had to go around the bluff before they got to us.  Then I heard a HELICOPTER!!  I, again, went running out in the clearing and this time I took the colorful afghan and spread it on the snow.  I was waiving my arms.  A radio station in Spokane was fallowing the story and I guess he said "they have spotted the two lost people and there is a woman going crazy!"  I guess that would be me.  Anyway, the helicopter flew away.  I felt more distraught than the first time.  Then I heard the search team getting closer.  They appeared and one man said "How are you doing today?"  I said "BETTER NOW!!"  They were from the Back County Horse Search and Rescue and the Boundary County Volunteer Search/Rescue/Dive Team.

They started a fire and tried to get us warm.  My core temperature was 96 and my Father-in-law's was 94.  We were both hyperthermic.  They gave me water and a candy bar.  I ate mine and my Father-in-law took a few bites and started throwing up blood.  He was in shock. 

The helicopter needed to find a place to land.  There were too many trees so two men repelled down with a chain saw.  It didn't have gas... just our luck.  So, they had to fly back to the airport and get a can of gas.  Then they came back and made a heli-pad about a half mile away.  They took my father-in-law on a stretcher only he was on his knees.  If he laid down he couldn't breath.  They told me I was going to fly in the helicopter.  I said, "ah, no, I'm going back in a truck with these guys".  They said, "no, you are going in the helicopter and threw me in."  It was a flight from hell.  I swear he was flying 3 feet above the trees! 

They landed in the hospital parking lot and I was thinking "Just wait until I tell MY MOM what happened!"  I got out and there were my Sister Sharlyn, my Dad, my friends, I said "How did you know"... DAH not thinking they knew we were missing! My mind was really fuzzy! They ALL were hugging me and it HURT because I was so bruised up.  MY Mom was still at home two hours away.  She was thinking the worst, and couldn't bear to come.  My Sister Lynette was with her and when they heard we were alive they came racing up to Bonners Ferry.  My husband went right past me to his Father.  That hurt my feelings, but now I understand.

They checked me out and put me in a warm blanket which felt like heaven!  They Heart Flighted my Father-in-law into Sacred Heart in Spokane, Washington.  We had to drive 2 1/2 hours to get to where they were taking him.  We went home to my house so I could take a HOT shower and put on some clean dry clothes.  My Father-in-law was in intensive care for a week I think.  My husband was messed up mentally from the accident.  The thought that he could have killed his parents.....(probably wanted to kill me)   

The next morning we woke up to snow.  That meant more up on the mountain.  We would have been in tough shape by then if they wouldn't have recused us when they did.

The Search and Rescue crew said they crossed Grizzly tracks 100 yards from where we were found.  Someone was watching over us.

The Heart-Flight crew received a National Award for the rescue.  Five years later the crew went down in the Helicopter.  All were killed.  They were transporting an injured prisoner from .... Bonners Ferry of all places. 

One year after the plane crash my kidneys failed. I was 24.

Eight years later we were divorced.

20 years later I'm on dialysis and... so is my Father-in-law. 

It took me a few years before I would even get in a JET plane.  But, now it doesn't bother me.  I still don't like small planes.

The End.   

[susie q]

Holy crap.... what a story.. thanks for sharing... So sad about the rescue crew.. but glad you are here with us today..  wow...   

[kitkatz]

Geez! What a story! You could write a book!  That is amazing. 
Katherine

[kevno]

What a experience Rerun. Glad you told the story. Happy you came through it OK


Just one question?

They had no Gas? Did you get to the chain saw first?

Kevno

[Rerun]

They didn't tell us what was taking so damn long until afterwards.  I don't think they wanted that information out.   

But, pretty soon the whole town knew they had to fly back to the airport to get gas for the chain saw!

[Black]

I agree that you ought to write a book.  What an inspiration you are!!

[girlfriend]

Wow Rerun, What a horrifying experience... Your a trooper through and through... Glad you made it out and still with us.. I was holding my breath through the whole story and could hardly read fast enough to find out what happened.. Go for it girl ... Write a book!!!

[Zach]

This is a story everyone needs to read!

 

[Sluff]

Awesome I wonder how I missed this until now.

[Joe Paul]

Great story Rerun, praise God, you and your family made it through 

[G-Ma]

WOW.  I missed this too until tonight.  Rerun..let us know when the book goes to print.  I for one will be buying it.
Ann

[okarol]

OMG Rerun, I am even more in awe of your tenacity than before - that is one hell of a story. 

[Chris]

Forgot how we got on this topic in chat last night/today. Amazing story

[del]

Amazing story!!

[willieandwinnie]

Rerun, I have no idea how I missed this. WOW! You are one strong woman. 

[pelagia]

Hey, if I went down in a plane in the mountains I would be happy to have Rerun by my side.  I can just hear her now! 

[monrein]

Fantastic story Rerun.  What a scary experience. 

[Rerun]

I have the story done.  I did it last year after this post.  I thought I really need to get this down on paper.  But, now I don't know what to do with it.  It is not a book.... only 13 pages. 

I don't speak to my in-laws at all or my ex-husband.  So I don't want to have to get permission from "them" to use their names in print. 

I may just print it for my family.

[okarol]

 You don't have to use their names. You could probably get it published in a magazine.

[Rerun]

Is there anyone on here that could take the time to read my finished story to see if it could get published?

[Wenchie58]

 

More people need to read this great story!