As if the freezing temperatures and winter conditions in Wyoming weren’t enough cause for concern, imagine being in an emergency situation with a newborn baby and toddler twins. Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office released further details about the downed aircraft outside of Rock Springs on Monday that required a helicopter rescue. Call of a downed airplane came in
around 6:30pm on Monday
. A man was flying his wife, their two-year-old twins, and two-week-old infant from Wayne, Nebraska to their home in Heber, Utah when an unexpected strong headwind resulted in the plane not having enough fuel to
reach the Rock
Springs airport where they planned to refuel. “
At around 5:30pm
, while flying at an altitude of approximately 8,500 feet, the plane’s engine began to sputter and then died, and the pilot immediately initiated emergency landing procedures,” shares the Sheriff’s Office. “While no one was injured and the plane sustained no damage during the emergency maneuver, winter conditions and frigid temperatures, with an estimated wind chill well below zero, left the family cold and stranded with the aircraft in a remote desert area with no apparent means to escape.” Rescuers determined it would take several hours to reach the family by tracked vehicle. Fortunately, they were able to divert a nearby medical helicopter to assist in the rescue effort instead. About three hours after their emergency landing, the young family was successfully evacuated from the downed plane and transported to the hospital for evaluation.
