ANCHORAGE, AK — Alaska Air National Guard crews rescued four people after a plane crash on a coastal sandbar on Montague Island, about 60 miles southeast of Seward. Officials said the crash happened Aug. 30 and the response was carried out late Wednesday.
The victims had already gotten out of the flipped-over Cessna 180 before rescuers reached them. They were flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage and then turned over to civilian medical personnel.
Emergency beacon sent rescuers to the remote crash scene
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson opened the mission after receiving a signal from an aircraft emergency locator transmitter registered to the owner of the Cessna 180. That alert helped crews identify the airplane and start the response.
From there, the rescue center asked for help from the 176th Wing search and rescue duty officer. A helicopter carrying pararescuemen was then dispatched to the island, according to Alaska National Guard Public Affairs.
Sand and beach debris changed how the helicopter landed
Rescuers did not land right on top of the wreck because of concerns about flying sand and beach debris. Instead, the helicopter touched down a short distance away from the crash site and the crew moved in on foot.
Officials said that approach let the team make contact with the four victims safely. The crash scene was described as a seemingly undamaged plane that had flipped over on the sandbar.
The four victims were able to get out before help arrived
According to Alaska National Guard Public Affairs, the four people had extracted themselves from the aircraft before the rescue team reached them. That detail suggests the crash, while serious, did not leave them trapped inside the plane.
The Cessna 180 was found overturned on the remote shoreline, but authorities did not report major damage beyond the rollover. No further details were provided about the passengers’ conditions or what led to the crash.
Providence Alaska Medical Center received the rescued passengers in Anchorage
After reaching the victims, crews transported all four by helicopter to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Officials said the patients were then released to civilian medical personnel once they arrived.
The handoff marked the end of the military rescue portion of the mission. No additional information was released about whether the four were kept for further treatment or how long they stayed at the hospital.
A joint-base rescue center coordinated the response from start to finish
The mission highlights how Alaska’s rescue network covers large stretches of remote coastline and island terrain. In this case, the coordination center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson worked with the 176th Wing and pararescuemen to get to the victims quickly after the beacon signal came in.
The response also shows how emergency locator transmitters can speed help to isolated crash scenes where roads do not exist. ABC News reported that Vanessa Navarrete contributed to the coverage.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
