Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
The plane wreckage near the eastern side of Tustemena Lake – credit Dale Eicher

 

Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network

Rescuers Relieved to Find Pilot, 2 Children Survived Crash Landing on Frozen Alaskan Lake

By Andy Corbley–

Fearing the worst after a prop plane was reported overdue for landing in Alaska last Sunday, search and rescue volunteers were relieved when news rang out that all three passengers survived.

The pilot and two children, who were in elementary and middle school, survived a crash landing on the frozen surface of Tustumena Lake and walked until they were seen.

The story first broke Sunday night/Monday morning that a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, which departed Sunday from Soldotna Airport near Kenai on a sightseeing trip, didn’t land when it should have.

John Morris, the father of the missing pilot, told CNN affiliate Alaska’s News Source that his son’s cell phone sent its final ping at about 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening over Tustumena.

Alaska’s News Source reports that a National Guard and state trooper search and rescue operation was augmented by volunteers from the community. One family friend posted a notice for help on Facebook that was re-shared 420 times.

Eventually, a Good Samaritan who saw the plane wreckage and three people walking on the frozen lake helped rescuers find them.

The three survivors were taken to a Kenai Peninsula area hospital and treated for “non-life-threatening injuries.”

Dale Eicher was one of the locals who heard the call for help. With a background in assisting search and rescues, he went up in his own plane to look for survivors but had barely arrived in the last known position before he heard over the radio that three people had been reported found.

“I called the troopers immediately because I was still in cell service, and I knew it was a really good chance that the guy who had found him was not in cell service,” Eicher said. ” I was really shocked. I didn’t expect that we would find them. I didn’t expect we would find them alive for sure…it doesn’t always turn out this well.”

The good news here is the community went all out to find the survivors of a plane crash even though it seemed unlikely anyone could survive. Today’s JohnKu talks about hope. I wish you all a super weekend.

Optimism by John W. Howell ©2025

Against all the odds,

Hope always carries its weight . . .

To make miracles.

79 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  1. Oh John, what a way to start my day here in England.
    It’s great news that these 3 were found and not seriously injured.
    It is wonderful that so many of the community rallied in spreading news and aiding in that rescue.

    Hope… is everyone’s lifeline. Community working together keeps it strong.

    Thank you, John, for that good news story.

    Have a wonderful weekend, all of you. X

    Liked by 1 person

  2. It’s wonderful that they were found and were ok, definitely good news. It must have been such a scary and traumatic experience. Thanks for sharing, John. Happy Friday! 😊

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Absolutely, John, and I recall that Charles Reveson of Revlon fame put it this way: “In the factory we make cosmetics; in the store we sell hope.” Hope and writers are like wet and water, shaping the lives of young and old.

        Liked by 1 person

  21. Wow…can’t believe they survived. I mean what are the chances out in that wilderness. That does give one pause for hope, for sure! Thanks for sharing, John. These good news stories are quite the lifeline in a world gone mad.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I am always amazed at the efforts of a community when something like this happens. You expect your emergency personnel and local volunteers to step up, sure. That’s what they do. But it’s everybody else as well. The private citizens who give their time and energy to forge the kind of ending we read about here.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Wow! I imagine the number of survivors in a plane crash has to be awfully small. Love your good news Friday stories, John.

    Liked by 1 person

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