Plane Crash Survivor Rescued in Alaska

On Sunday September 11^th, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued the survivor of a plane crash that was located roughly 35 miles northwest of Juneau, Alaska.

Personnel at the Southeast Alaska Sector Command Center initiated the deployment of an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Air Station Sitka at 5:38 p.m. responding to the most recent location signal from an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) alert in the vicinity of Excursion Inlet.

At 7:05 p.m., the aircrew successfully located the crash site of the single-engine fixed-wing aircraft. A rescue swimmer was lowered and skillfully extracted the sole occupant on the aircraft. The survivor was transferred in critical condition to awaiting local emergency medical services stationed at the Juneau International Airport.

Personnel at U.S. Coast Guard District Seventeen’s command center were alerted by the ELT signal at around 5:31 p.m. They verified the receipt of the alert from nearby aircraft before transmitting the information to the command center personnel at Sector Southeast Alaska for further action.

“Massive thanks and a job well done to the expeditious work of the aircrew that conducted this rescue,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Bitinas, a situation unit watchstander at Sector Southeast Alaska command center. “This individual’s life was saved due to their actions.”