Video released by the Pentagon shows the dramatic Air Force rescue of 11 people who survived the crash of a private airplane at sea on Tuesday, May 12, off central Florida.
The ill-fated plane, a twin-engine turboprop flying from the Bahamas with the 11 on board, went down in the Atlantic about 129 km off Melbourne, Florida, activating an emergency locator signal that was picked up by the Coast Guard.
Through sheer luck, an HC-130J Combat King II, a plane designed for combat search and rescue, was already airborne on a training mission when the search was initiated, and her crew immediately joined the operation, according to the Coast Guard.
An Air Force Reserve rescue team spotted the life raft as a thunderstorm was approaching and dropped a package of food, water and additional flotation to sustain the survivors until rescuers could reach them in the water.
The survivors ultimately were hoisted to safety by the crew of a hovering rescue helicopter, dispatched from the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing from a base near Melbourne, and were flown to Melbourne Orlando International Airport for medical attention, officials said.
Courtesy: DVIDS via RUETERS