Nearby Boaters Dive in to Save Texas Family Stranded in the Caribbean after Seaplane Crash
- Posted on January 22, 2012 at 5:06pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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A Texas family is thankful and happy to be alive after a group of strangers were in the right place at the right time to save them after they crashed their small seaplane into the ocean off Honduras during a tropical vacation.
“It reaffirms your faith in people and humanity,” survivor Andy Atkins told NBC News. “That so many people stepped in to help that didn’t have to.”
Atkins, his wife Jenny, and their 4-year-old son Logan were on a sightseeing flight off the coast of Roatan, a small Caribbean island near Honduras, on January 11. Atkins had taken the trip on the small seaplane before, but never plunged with the plane into the ocean after engines cut out.

“We lost an engine, is what I was told, and we crashed into the ocean and flipped over and were stuck underwater,” Atkins told NBC. After the initial plunge, the plane’s pilot helped Atkins get to the surface, then the two both went back under to pull up his wife and son. Injured and stranded after the crash, the survivors were in trouble.
Luckily, a boat was nearby and strangers quickly dove in to save them, catching it all on tape. NBC News video:
NBC reports that among the divers were a U.S. Navy doctor and another physician who treated the mother and son. The family spent days in a hospital after the crash but were eventually able to return home Thursday.




















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OniKaze
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:31pmAmericans…. Sometimes we do get things right… Glad they received the help they required before it was too late…
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:24pm“It reaffirms your faith in people and humanity,”… I’m glad the people were there and all, but I‘d hesitate to put my faith in ’people and humanity’. Whenever I do that I get real disappointed. On the other hand, putting my faith in God always pays off. He puts people like these in my path when I need them most.
Report Post »boone b
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:19amgood people help…happens every day,,,
Report Post »ThemDemsLie2much
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:35amLand Ho! There is land within what looks to swimming distance in the background.
Report Post »pap pap
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 12:20pmYou can’t really tell how far that land is by the picture at that angle. Also even if you are really good swimmers how do you do it with a four year old with you ?
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 12:27pmSure the land is in sight. But it would be extremely hard to swim in ocean currents while holding a child for that distance and even harder if you are banged up from a plane crash….. Reguardless
Report Post »I love to read stories like these….. Good people stepping up when others need help
ThemDemsLie2much
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:32amWrong site beatch. You want politico . c-0-m!
Report Post »MommyNeedsMoreCoffee
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:03amI’m loving this sentence in the third paragraph:
“Atkins had taken the trip on the small seaplane before, but never plunged with the plane into the ocean after engines cut out.”
Journalism at it’s best…
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on January 24, 2012 at 11:13pmI think they were quoting exactly what Atkins said, and not writing. You know, those silly “(insert quote here)” marks are supposed to mean something wise ass.
Report Post »Bare Rock
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 6:43amThis site is awful all the women are ugly. A total waste of time.
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:48amYour advertisement has been reported for removal…
Report Post »mcgrawactor1
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 8:02pmEvery now and then, we need a story about human kindness, bravery of spirit and heroism. Thank goodness we have one during this season of sliming.
Report Post »Rockyspoon
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 7:58pmHey, Ookspay, Palin has dropped off the deep end, Rick Perry just wants somebody else to beat Mitt since he couldn’t do it, and you are clueless. But for enquiring minds, here’s three links of enlightenment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjVfEesPNwc
http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/12/13/unbelievable-newt-loves-fdr-models-himself-after-woodrow-wilson-and-admires-seius-andy-stern
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gingrich-flashback-progressive-fdr-was-greatest-president-of-the-20th-century-plus-seius-andy-stern-is-visionary-union-leader/
Newt’s only difference from Obama is that the latter is black and the former is white. Their Progressiveness is pretty much the same.
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:49amAnother batch of anti-Gingrich lies…..how quaint!
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:39amThis is hilarious, is this how you get your information? Glenn beck, Youtube? let me audit every word that you have spoken in your entire life and I could paint you in any light that I like. Newt has a record, since you are so web savvy, google it!
Here is a good rule of thumb; whatever the leftist media says, completely reverse it. When they say that they would love to run against Gingrich, flip it, they would hate to run against him. When they say that Mitt is the biggest threat to BO, flip it, mitt will be easy to beat.
Report Post »All American Woman
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:24pmC.SCHWEHR
Why do you think that ROCKYSPOON is lying about Gingrich ? it came out of his own mouth, PROOF: watch and read.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gingrich-flashback-progressive-fdr-was-greatest-president-of-the-20th-century-plus-seius-andy-stern-is-visionary-union-leader/
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 7:29pmWould rather:
Report Post »A. Take cruise on an Italian liner
B. Take a sight-seeing tour on a Honduran float plane
Kaoscontrol
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:27pmI’d rather stay home and cling to my Bible and gun.
Report Post »RedDawn2012
Posted on January 24, 2012 at 8:00amI’ll take c) Sitting on a Bora Bora beach with a frozen Chi-Chi and a hot wahine.
Report Post »notreally
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:40pmWhy do I alway think that episodes of heroic compassion like this most often involve Americans? On the other hand, you have Europeans cruise ships sinking and their crews….well, you know.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 8:06pmYep quite a contrast.
Report Post »Mrose
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:31pmWow, what a great story!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:26pmAwesome, that someone was there to help them. It could have been a tragic ending. Roatan is one area I would love to go scuba diving, but with the economy and me being poorer, ain’t gonna happen.
Report Post »a.christianpeter
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:16pmIt should re affirm his faith in god that there were two physicians in a boat at the right place at the right time. Is that not clearly a miracle?
Report Post »angelcat
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:14pmThey saw a family in distress and plunged in to help. No environmental studies. No thoughts as to whether they might be sued if they didn’t succeed. No thoughts about what race, color, or creed the victims were – just people helping people. What a wonderful thing human kindness and love for others is!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:06pmwhew, what a story, thank God those folks were nearby.
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 5:57pmNow that is a nice story. Between that and the Bull fighter story, and NEWT Winning SC I am in a real good mood. : )
Report Post »GoodStuff
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:59pmA progressive winning puts you in a good mood???
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 7:03pm@Steelhead, great game with a dumb ass ending, no matter which side you were on
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 7:26pmAhh Yes “progressive”, the race card of Glenn Beck and the Paulistinians. What, are you guys done with the word “Neocon”? Newt is the best Conservative in the race. Ask Rick Perry, Sarah Palin and Ookspay!
Gingrich – Palin 2012
Report Post »Steelhead
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 5:56pmwow, where is everyone? apparently they don’t care
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 6:05pmWatching a great football game! 23 -20 patriots 1:15 4th qtr
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