Surfers lead a rescue mission
Last weeks plane crash in Mali shocked the world. It's something you never want to see. A plane failing to stop on a runway and ending up in the sea. Luckily, all passengers survived. Members of the public, some of which were surfers, were quickly on the scene to help the rescue attempt before the emergency services arrived.
Ben Panangian, a well known stand-up paddle boarder in Indonesia, was the first who rushed to the scene. Speaking with News Limited, Ben explained that planes are usually heard landing every 15 minutes, though this plane made a thunder like sound as it careered off the runway.
After then seeing the plane, broken in half through impact, Ben and his friends quickly paddled over to offer help in any way possible. They talked of the casualties and injuries they witnessed whilst explaining their worry that the plane could explode. Despite this, the guys continued working hard to save lives.
Ben commented that the passengers and crew were lucky to be here after the accident, and if the plane had hit 48 hours ago, it could have been much worse. "It would have been worse two days ago. The plane would have been crashing against the rocks" he said.
108 lives could have been lost within minutes. The quick thinking from the surfers and other surrounding personnel and, of course, the emergency services saved lives and prevented further injury.
