Salmon workers found alive following airplane disappearance
Due to the risky business of running a charter airline service in between Regions X and XI, Patagonia Airlines prides itself with its slogan, “We want to fly with you again”. The airline has the most modern fleet of charter planes, employs the Region’s most experienced pilots, and has maintained an excellent service and safety reputation over its 4 years of service. Thus was the astonishment Sunday with news that the airplane did not reach its destination. Search efforts were nearly impossible immediately following the news due to bad weather conditions and short daylight hours, but a radio signal from the aircraft narrowed the search to a heavily forested ravine area near La Junta. By day three however the signal had weakened substantially and storm conditions made search efforts more difficult. The nine passengers and the pilot helplessly watched Air Force helicopters fly overhead each day, yet unable to see the crashed plane within the forest.
The pilot succumbed to internal bleeding by the third day, but the rest of the passengers survived on a can of powdered milk, water from the ravine, packages of cookies and the warmth of huddling together, along with a pet dog that accompanied one of the passengers. The pilot Nelson Bahamondes taught the passengers how to take fuel from the airplane wings, and the salmon workers, prepared with backpacks full of clothes for their work-shift of 20 days in the field, built fires with their clothing and belongings. All nine passengers were airlifted out of the ravine yesterday afternoon, and all gave their condolences to the family of the pilot Bahamondes, who in essence saved their lives for his responsiveness in landing the aircraft in the safest manner possible. A severe and unexpected storm was the cause of the accident.
