Mother And Baby Saved From Mountain Crash

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31097, 28 June 1966, Page 15

Mother And Baby Saved From Mountain Crash

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONGVIEW, WASHINGTON, June 26.

An Army helicopter rescued yesterday a young mother and her two-month-old baby trapped in the wreckage of a small plane for two days in below-freezing temperatures, United Press International reported.

The woman’s parents l».y dead in the wreck age of the small plane, which crashed high on the snowy, wind-swept slopes of Mount St. Helens in south-west Washington State on Thursday.

Mrs Karla Little, aged 25, survived the crash although trapped in the wreckage from the waist down.

Her tiny daughter, Laurie, was not injured. She lay clutched in her mother's arms during the two-day ordeal. Mrs Little, her daughter Laurie, and her parents, Grant Erickson aged 49, and his wife Dolly, aged 41 had taken off from Seattle on Thursday afternoon, for a Los Angeles family reunion. The orange and white Mooney Super 21 aircraft flew into rough weather, apparently became lost and pancaked into a snow field about the 6000 foot level of Mount St Helens, part of the rugged Cascade range. Mount St Helens is 45 miles north-east of Portland, Oregon. The Ericksons were killed on impact Mrs Little said. Neither of them moved after the crash. Mrs Little had her legs pinned by the wreckage, and could move only from the waist up. Her husband, Loren, aged 24. a third-year medical student was the first to examine her when she was brought to St John’s Hospital here. He said she might be para-

lysed, and that her feet were frozen. Laurie—clutched in her mother’s arms—was not injured. Clouds shrouded the mountain. A window next to Mrs Little was smashed out by the crash, and snow blew in upon her and her child.

With night approaching, Mrs Little succeeded in reaching a blanket, which she hung over the window to keep the wind and freezing temperatures from her child. There was baby food and milk in a small bag, but the mother could not reach it

She nursed Laurie, and saved the child’s life. For Mrs Little, there was no food or water during the ordeal. An army helicopter—one of more than 40 searching aircraft —spotted the wreckage and the dangerous evacuation was brought off without a hitch.

First the baby, then the mother, and then the bodies of the Eriksons were removed and transported here. Mr Little said his baby girl came through the ordeal “in really good shape.” “She was alert, and after we had given her a bath and something to eat, she gave me a big smile and went right to sleep.”

Mr Little sai dthat in spite of the death of his wife’s parents, her frozen feet, hunger, thirst and probably paralysis, she was in extremely high spirits. “She’s alert and talking,” Mr Little said. "I guess she is very happy to be back.” Mr Little was at a loss for words to describe his feelings. “There’s just no way to put it into words. I just thank the Good Lord. I guess it’s just a miracle.”