Ten fatal victims after air accident in Alaska: they recovered the bodies despite extreme conditions

In the midst of extreme climatic conditions and unstable land, the authorities of Alaska They managed to recover the remains of the ten people who lost their lives in a plane crash that occurred last Thursday. As reported Associated Press (AP)the plane, a turboheric monomotor operated by Bering Aircrashed on an ice plate on the Bering sea while covering the route between Unalakleet and Nomeleaving lifeless to the nine passengers and the pilot.

He Nome Volunteer Fire Department He confirmed the recovery of the bodies through his Facebook page on Saturday afternoon. This effort was made counterreloj, since a strong snow temporal and winds of up to 72 kilometers per hour (45 miles per hour) was scheduled for the region tonight, which would have further complicated rescue work.

The wrecked plane was located on Friday, a day after its disappearance, on a floating ice plate that moved at a speed of approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles), as detailed by the president of the National Transport Security Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendyat a press conference. Ice instability and adverse weather conditions represented a significant challenge for rescue equipment, which included Black Hawk helicopters, load aircraft and specialized personnel of the Alaska National Guard.

Search and rescue operations were carried out in a hostile environment, characterized by temperatures of up to -8.3 ℃ (17 ℉), Light snow and dense fog. Equipment of the United States Coast Guard and specialized rescuers deployed aerial and sea resources to locate the plane, a Cessna Caravanwhich had disappeared about 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Nome.

Radar data analysis provided by United States Civil Air Patrol He revealed that the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude and speed around 15:18 on Thursday, a few minutes after losing contact. Despite having an emergency locator transmitter, no alert signals were recorded, which suggests possible technical failures at the time of the impact or a malfunction of the equipment when coming into contact with the salt water.

Photographs of the site showed the fuselage of the shattered plane and debris scattered on the ice surface. The recovery of the bodies was complex due to the risk of floating ice fracture and the need to perform rapid operations before the arrival of a new winter storm. Rescuers used helicopters to transport intervention equipment and deployed rescue swimmers to ensure the area and extract the remains.

The president of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, said that, although the initial priority was the recovery of the victims, an exhaustive investigation will be opened to determine The causes of the accident. “Our goal is to identify the factors that contributed to this tragedy to improve the safety of aviation in Alaska and throughout the country,” he said.

The accident has had a deep impact on the communities of Nome and Unalakleet, where the loss of ten lives has generated a wave of pain and dismay. Among the victims were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigsonwho were in Unalakleet to perform maintenance work in an essential heat recovery system for the community water plant. “These two members of our team lost their lives serving others,” he said David BeveridgeVice President of Environmental Health and Engineering of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortiumin a statement.

The rest of the victims have not been publicly identified, but it was confirmed that all the occupants of the plane were adults and that the flight was part of a regular passenger transport service. Bering Air operations director, David Olsonhe informed that the aircraft took off from Unalakleet at 14:37 and that contact with her less than an hour later was lost.

The mayor of Nome, John Handelandexpressed its regret and highlighted the resilience of the community in times of adversity. “Nome is a strong community, and in difficult times we join together to support each other,” he said. For its part, the American senator Lisa Murkowski He regretted the tragedy, describing it as a difficult loss of accepting, and offered their condolences to affected families.

Bering Air, which operates regular flights to 32 villages in western Alaska, also issued a statement in which he expressed his deep pain for the accident and provided emotional support to the relatives of the victims. The company enabled a telephone line for assistance to provide updates on psychological research and support to those who need it.

This tragic accident highlights the critical dependence of aviation in Alaska, a state characterized by its extensive geography, extreme climatic conditions and the lack of road infrastructure in many regions. In remote communities such as Unalakleet, Airplanes are not a luxurybut a need for Transport of people, medical supplies, food and other essential goods.

Alaska air operations are exposed to unique challenges, which include abrupt climatic changes, reduced visibility and extreme conditions which can affect both the aircraft and the crew. Despite the technological advances in air safety, the region continues to register a higher accident rate than in other parts of the United States.

This incident adds to a series of recent air accidents in the country, which has intensified the debate about the need to improve security regulations and the training of pilots operating in high -risk environments. NTSB will continue to investigate to determine if factors such as mechanical failures, human errors or extreme climatic conditions contributed to the incident.

Meanwhile, the affected communities face the pain of loss and the difficult task of rebuilding after the tragedy. The memory of the victims and the solidarity shown by their neighbors reflect the strength of those who live one of the most challenging regions of the United States.