A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew came to rescue on Jan. 16 for two people aboard a Piper Cherokee airplane that went down at the mouth of the King Salmon River near Pilot Point, 184 miles west of Kodiak.
The crew aboard the Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 located the two survivors, hoisted them aboard and transported them to emergency medical personnel in Kodiak.
Both the pilot and passenger were reported to be in stable condition. Coast Guard officials said the passenger suffered an apparent arm injury, and the pilot apparent back and neck injuries.
Watchstanders from Coast Guard 17th District launched the Air Station Kodiak aircrew immediately after receiving word of the crash, with an approximate location of the plane based on the filed flight plan and time.
Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Huntley, the Air Station Kodiak pilot, said that the downed aircraft was located, with help from local officials and volunteers, on the frozen surface of Ugashik Bay, south of Pilot Point.
Both survivors sustained injuries and we were concerned about their exposure to the cold, Huntley said.
Weather conditions at the time were reported as three miles of visibility, with 11-mile an hour winds and snowing.
