January 1, Miracle Parachute Saves Family: Unbelievable Survival Story Unfolds

A California family of three had a miraculous escape last week when their small plane crash-landed in a mountainous region. The couple, both 38, and their two-year-old daughter, were able to walk away from the wreckage with only minor injuries, thanks to the aircraft’s parachute system that slowed their descent. The incident took place in a forested area of Whitethorn around 1:15 p.m. on Friday, as confirmed by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

The single-engine 2004 Cirrus SR22 had taken off only five minutes earlier when it lost power. The pilot, noticing that the plane’s altitude was too low for recovery, initiated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System to slow the plane’s descent. The parachute system carried the aircraft until it crashed among the trees.

Sheriff’s Office Capt. Quincy Cromer, in a statement, said,
“It sounded like it was a last-resort effort.”

Nick Pape, the Chief of the Shelter Cove Fire Department, noted that the family’s “chances of survival without the parachute were slim.” He further stated that the family was able to exit the plane on their own before first responders arrived at the scene.

Fire officials, in a statement, mentioned that even with the parachute, the family was fortunate to have only suffered minor injuries. Photos from the scene show the wrecked plane among the trees with its parachute snagged in the branches.

The family, residents of Santa Rosa, have not been publicly identified. This incident marks the second small plane crash that the fire department has responded to within a year. The previous crash occurred in July when a plane crashed into the ocean. In that instance, the two occupants were rescued after swimming out of the wreckage.

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