Two men land on ice, survive night on floe after Arctic plane crash
THE CANADIAN PRESS
1 hour ago
IQALUIT, Nunavut — Two Swedish nationals who managed to land their small plane on pan ice and leapt free of the aircraft before it sank in icy waters south of Baffin Island were rescued today by a fishing vessel.
The captain of the vessel that picked them up says both men were grateful to see the fishing ship approach them after spending 18 hours standing on the ice awaiting rescue.
Bo Mortensen says the crew picked the two men up and brought them aboard, where they were wrapped in warm clothing and telephoned their families to say they were safe.
He says the men “looked to be in good shape,” but appeared to have some frostbite on their feet.
Mortensen says they “are very lucky” to be alive and were weeping with joy.
He says they were wearing neoprene survival suits and life-jackets.
A Cormorant helicopter airlifted the men to Iqaluit several hours after they were brought on board the boat.
The men were travelling in a twin-engine Cessna Skymaster from Wabush, N.L., to Iqaluit, Nunavut, when it lost both engines over the Hudson Strait.
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