Anchorage, Alaska — A remarkable survival story unfolded in Alaska as a pilot and his two young daughters survived approximately 12 hours stranded on the wing of their plane after it crashed into the frozen waters of Tustumena Lake, a scenic but treacherous area located about 80 miles southwest of Anchorage. They were rescued by the Alaska Army National Guard after being spotted by a local pilot, Terry Godes, who had joined the search following a public appeal for assistance on social media.

The crash involved a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, which was engaged in a sightseeing flight from Soldotna to Skilak Lake when it disappeared without sending a distress signal, as it lacked a locator beacon. An urgent search was initiated late Sunday night after the pilot's family raised concerns when he and his daughters did not return as expected. Godes, in his own aircraft, approached Tustumena Lake around 8 a.m. Monday and observed what appeared to be wreckage in the icy surroundings. Upon closer inspection, he was overjoyed to discover that the three individuals on the wing were alive and signaling for help.

“It kind of broke my heart to see that, but as I got closer...I could see that there’s three people on top of the wing,” Godes recounted in a statement to the press. He swiftly notified other pilots and authorities about the location of the wreckage. A fellow pilot, Dale Eicher, played a crucial role in communicating their coordinates to the Alaska State Troopers, making sure help was on the way.

The trio was located on the eastern edge of Tustumena Lake, which is notorious for unpredictable winds and has been described by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a “recipe for chaos” due to sudden weather changes influenced by the surrounding mountain and glacier landscapes.

Rescue operations were complicated by the environmental conditions. Initial attempts to lift the survivors from the wing using a hoist were deemed too hazardous; Lt. Col. Brendon Holbrook, commander of the Guard’s 207th Aviation Regiment, explained that the rotor wash from the helicopter posed risks to the youngest child. Instead, the helicopter hovered nearby and carefully retrieved the survivors.

Upon rescue, the girls were reportedly in surprisingly good condition despite their bizarre night perched atop the wing, while their father faced hypothermia due to exposure to the icy waters. “They spent a long, cold, dark, wet night out on top of a wing of an airplane that they weren’t planning on,” Godes noted, underscoring the unexpected ordeal they endured in temperatures dipping into the 20s. Fortunately, the plane's tail had refrozen in the ice, preventing it from fully sinking, which contributed significantly to their survival.

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the cause of the crash. Previous tragic aviation incidents in the region have raised concerns regarding air travel safety, as Alaska relies heavily on small aircraft for transportation due to its vast geographic expanse.

For regular updates about the investigation into the crash and safety advisories for aviation in Alaska, visit New York Times, HuffPost, India Times, NPR, and CBS News.