A party of 6 persons traveling in a twin engine Maya Island Airplane from Kanantik Resort in Southern Belize to the Philip Goldson International Airport had a close brush with death this morning.
The plane they were traveling in experienced engine problems forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in a mangrove swamp off mile 11 ½ on the Western highway - 4 miles south of the PGIA.
7NEWS was on the scene as the 4 woman and 2 men were airlifted from the site just before midday.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Two BATSUB helicopters responded to the crash site at mile 11 ½ on the Western Highway. They hovered over the bog of mangrove and mud where the twin engine Maya Island Air plane glided in for an emergency landing shortly after 11 this morning. At around 11:55, the two remaining passengers, a man and a woman were airlifted after BATSUB military personnel rappelled down and plucked them from within the thick mangroves. Arnold Bahadur who was at this clearing about a half mile from where the plane touched down was among the first to run and help the 7 persons in the plane.
Arnold Bahadur, Eyewitness
"It happened around 11 and we saw the plane circling around. We then saw the plane like dive off from the machine and we saw it took another circle and from there it dropped down in the mangroves. After that all of us got together and run to try and rescue the tourists."
Alfonso Noble,
"How people were in the plane?"
Arnold Bahadur,
"It was six passengers and with the pilot makes it 7.
"It took us like half an hour to get back there because we had to chop a trail. Well we didn't have to chop a trail to get back there but when we were bringing them back we had to chop for them a safe place to walk."
Jose Tush, Eyewitness
"The plane was making a strange noise and the plane was going up and down and I said to myself this plane was going to drop. We got to the road and we saw that it dropped for real so we all got together and ran to the place. It took us like half-hour to reach there and we asked if anybody get hurt and they said no and I said that's fine. I asked the pilot how he is doing and he said ok. He was on the top of the plane. We then helped them bring some luggage by the clear spot and two tourists came along and got in the helicopter and that's all I saw."
Arnold Bahadur,
"We rescued them and took 2 of them out to the main and the rest of them took the helicopters."
These rescuers who had to cut their way through the mangrove thicket, saw the crash unfold after the plane began to stall in mid air and all they could do was wait to see where it would make landfall.
Arnold Bahadur,
"We already knew it was going to fall. From the time we saw the machine die and we heard it circling and circling we knew it was going to happen."
"I am just happy no one got injured."
Jose Tush,
"I was very concerned because I thought someone would die and that is why I came to see. That's why we ran over there to see. We said we might find alligator but we found nothing and we are happy. I am also happy no one lost their life."
And while there was no loss of life, the shaken pilot, Edgar Joseph was the last to leave the swamp, visibly shaken he maintained his composure after the ordeal. And as he made his way out other Maya Island personnel were at the crash site inspecting the damages and trying to gather information as to why the plane lost power.
None of the 7 persons were hurt. All six passengers were able to make their 1:20 flight on USAir.