small plane crash...

There was a samll plane crash in Ludington, MI over Lake Michigan yesterday, carrying five passengers, and four are still missing. One man is the grandfather of the boys I babysit for. It was a non-emergency medical flight, heading to Mayo clinic. The pilot has been rescued, but four people are still missing. Please pray for Dr. James Hall, and the others. Here is the main article:

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/50891-plane-reported-down-in-lake-michigan


And the latest.....


http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/50898-pray-wife-of-pilot-asks

WOW....I heard about that in the news, but to know how close it is to you and you know the people make it seem even more tragic....

How scary. My prayers are definitely with them.

Prayers going out, Amy.

Bad week for plane crashes in the state. They had that one up near St. Ignace earlier.

ya, not good. I will pray this has a good ending.

Thank you all for praying. They have called the search off....it is now a 'recovery' effort. I got a call from the mom of 'my' boys (this is her FIL who is missing), and she said that they say that after 24 hours it is highly unlikely to find a survivor.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/50897-day-two--still-in-search-mode

Rhonda wrote:

WOW....I heard about that in the news, but to know how close it is to you and you know the people make it seem even more tragic....

I know....it really is. And I've met this man several times over the years and he is such a sweetheart---he is very active with his grandkids too, and they're so proud to say, "My grandpa is a doctor!". He and his son (the parent of 'my' boys) also sing Barbershop together, and I saw them perform about a month ago. Two weeks ago they went on a huge Barbershop event held in Arizona. I am so glad they were able to have that amazing time together, and that he will have these memories now.

Rob wrote:

Prayers going out, Amy.

Bad week for plane crashes in the state. They had that one up near St. Ignace earlier.

It really is Rob. So tragic.

I just talked to their good friend who lives up in Traverse City. She asked that we go over and take care of the cat and put their trash out (we live in the same subdivision). Nick is going to go over and mow the lawn tomorrow. We're just trying to do 'practical' things right now, since we feel pretty helpless in every other way right now. Other than praying of course.

What a sad story. I'll pray for all them to be found alive. There are people who survived after some days of a crash plane, so don't loss your hope.



Vanesa.

Thank you Vanesa.


Here is the latest. Oh my gosh, a medical bag has been found, and a note from James's dad (also James), was found inside. What a comfort to all the families....apparently he wrote it 'from the group'. WOW. To think of what went through his mind in the minutes before the plane crash while writing that.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/50899-family-of-plane-crash-victim-shares-note-found-in-wreckage

Wow! I don't know that I would be in a stable enough frame of mind to think of doing that. I'll continue praying. As long as there is faith, there is hope.

Oh Amy, this is so terribly sad. My heart and prayers go out to all the families.

I think there's a hope. We didn't know what the note said, but it could be a rassuring one.

Of course, I'll keep praying.

Vanesa.

Thanks ladies.

Oh wow, this is an amazing article, focusing on Jame's dad, with a picture of him too. WOW...what an extraordinary person!!

http://www.freep.com/article/20100726/NEWS06/7260450/1319/After-crash-message-found-floating

He sounds like a wonderful man. This is all so sad.

I know. The boys are here today, and they're doing very well. Of course, like their parents said, it hasn't quite registered yet. Both their mom and dad brought them, and their dad is not doing well. It's such an unusual circumstance, and I think more than anything they're very disoriented. Their mom told me that they really need to find the bodies, so that they can have some closure. As she put it, "without that happening it feels like there is a door that you can't close...it's very unsettling on top of the overwhleming nature of the whole situation."


One thing I think is neat....their parents bought each of them a stuffed dog....they picked it up on their way home from Ludington. James's dad once raised Brittney Spaniels, and so they stopped into a Walgreens to see what they could find for the boys, in the 'dog line'. Well, lo and behold, there sat TWO Webkins Brittney Spaniels....in Walgreens of all places!! Obviously, meant to be. They told the boys (only that grandpa was in an accident), and they said that whenever they're thinking of him, or just want to hug him or 'talk' to him, that they can hold onto those doggies. I thought that was a great way of handling it.

Here is a pic of a Brittney Spaniel:

Their stuffed animals look just like that! They've had a couple of moments today where they've snuggled with them, but for the most part they're happily playing with their buddies, naturally (and thankfully) oblivious.

He does sound like an amazing man. That was a very good article, and that note as to be such a treasure to those families just knowing they were being thought of and loved.

I'm glad to hear the boys are doing good. It's a good idea to have those little dogs as a way to think of their grandpa. It does sound like it was meant to be, that there happened to be 2 dogs and just the kind they wanted. My prayers continue to be with the families.

Poor children. My heart is broken for them. I always thinks that in those kind of circumstances, children are the ones who suffers the most, since they can't explain what exactly happend.

I hope the dogs could make them less sad. Doggies are so good to heal a child's heart!

Vanesa.

pamh36 wrote:

He does sound like an amazing man. That was a very good article, and that note as to be such a treasure to those families just knowing they were being thought of and loved.

I'm glad to hear the boys are doing good. It's a good idea to have those little dogs as a way to think of their grandpa. It does sound like it was meant to be, that there happened to be 2 dogs and just the kind they wanted. My prayers continue to be with the families.

Thanks Pam---yep, the boys are doing great, since their parents are handling it so well. They're just being very positive, and talking about memories of grandpa. They're not pushing it under the rug, instead they're helping the kids to see just what a spectacular man he was. Right now they're trying to decide if they'll have them go to the funeral---they may just have them go to the 'reception' afterward. I tend to think that is best, at their tender ages.

Vanesa wrote:

Poor children. My heart is broken for them. I always thinks that in those kind of circumstances, children are the ones who suffers the most, since they can't explain what exactly happend.

I hope the dogs could make them less sad. Doggies are so good to heal a child's heart!

Vanesa.

Isn't that the truth Vanesa? Thank you. And the boys have been coping well---they've been drawing pictures this week too, which is neat. Best form of communication for a little kid, right there.

I'm glad to hear the boys are doing well. My girls came with us to a funeral for one of their relatives, but it wasn't someone they were very close to, so I don't think it had as much of an impact as it could have.

They remain in my prayers.

Thank you Cheryl.

They recovered the plane, and two of the bodies were found inside. It was the cancer patient and his wife. I SO hope that they will find the others....they really need this closure. But it really does not look promising.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/51062-two-plane-crash-victims-recovered

It's good they recovered the plane. Perhaps they will be able to locate the others more easily now. My prayers remain with the family. What a sad situation.

My heart and my prayers are with the family of the two persons recovered with the plane...What a desperating closure! So cruel for the cancer patient, who must go thourough his illness only t die this way...

Vanesa.

That is good that the plan was recovered, along with two of the bodies. I agree, I hope the other bodies are found as well so the family has that closure. Continued prayers.

Vanesa wrote:

My heart and my prayers are with the family of the two persons recovered with the plane...What a desperating closure! So cruel for the cancer patient, who must go thourough his illness only t die this way...

Vanesa.

I know....it IS very sad. But as I was speaking to James the other day, and his wife, about his dad, he was saying how it has been discovered that each and every person had led extraordinary lives. They ALL led lives of service to others. They said that at the memorial service for Earl (the co-pilot) on Friday, they all spoke of how he would want people to give. They also spoke of how expensive the flights are to Mayo clinic, and said that Earl would want people to give to that cause, and any cause that is close to their heart, as long as they were doing something in service to others. Everyone who has been touched by these people are making a conscious decision not to let them die in vain.


Also, about the cancer patient and his wife.....I had been told that their daughter (their only child) was in India at the time this happened. I assumed at the time that she was older, maybe a business woman working abroad. Well no....come to find out she is a Junior at Kalamazoo College (near where my son goes to college, and in the same year he is), and was studying abroad. To be an orphan at such a young age...it just breaks my heart. You know that she and her mother were most likely preparing for the death of her father, since they were obviously on their final straw as far as the cancer was concerned....now she's without her mother as well. I am sure she has a bit of comfort just knowing that they are together though. I guess she has a large support system of aunts and uncles, so thank goodness for that.

Oh my gosh....they have recovered all four bodies now.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/51067-plane-crash-update-all-four-victims-recovered


I am so relieved for all the families. They will not have Jim's funeral until next Sunday, and this will bring the closure that they need.