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Subscribe to RSSA tropical adventure turned into a terrifying fight for survival for a vacationing Texas family when their plane crashed into the ocean.
A group of strangers risked their lives to save the Atkinses on Jan. 11 along the coast of Roatan, a small island in the Caribbean off Honduras.
See video, read the original story at NBCDFW.com
"We crashed," said Andy Atkins, an attorney in Dallas. "We lost an engine, is what I was told, and we crashed into the ocean and flipped over and were stuck underwater."
Atkins; his wife, Jenny; and their 4-year-old son, Logan; were on a sightseeing ride. Atkins said he had flown in the small seaplane once before to enjoy the sights along the coast of Roatan.
"It was just an awesome fun ride, that's all I can tell you," he said. "Great views and great pictures and a slow-flying plane that felt very stable."
The plane's pilot helped Atkins get to the surface, but there was no sign of his wife and son.
"I dove back under looking for them, came back, got air, went immediately back down, and I just came up and I had Logan in my arms and, by the time i got to the surface, Jenny was also at the surface with the pilot holding her," Atkins said.
Several people on a nearby boat quickly dove in to save them.
"We were all still in shock at that point," Atkins said. "We knew that we had survived the initial crash, but we didn't know where it was going to go from there."
Remarkably, a U.S. Navy doctor and another physician were among the divers on much a larger boat. They immediately started treating Atkins' wife and son.
"They screamed that there's two doctors on board," he said. 'They got both of them on the back of that boat to give them oxygen and treated them with all their skill."
The entire family spent days in a hospital before returning home late Thursday night.
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once again US NAVYpersonel to the rescue!
This exact same senerio happened there just a couple of years ago..maybe even the same plane after they dryed it out..Sounds like the "pilot " can't handle a loaded deadstick landing..I imagine pilot qualifications are pretty loose there..These " seaplanes " are little more than large ultrlights and illegal in the U.S..Not hard to see why..
go navy ! good job guys
It's only fitting that the Navy comes to their aid on the waters of the world.
The Navy docs need to send them a bill. They are lawyers after all. Either that or they should not have treated them so as to avoid malpractice lawsuits.
You are an idiot.
I second Flaco.
It's your kind of thinking that makes good doctors bad people, did you not once think that no matter what the cost the family must be saved? Or at least the child? What kind of human are you?
Woz2000, you are right. This is the mindset of lawyers, unless they are in trouble themselves.
Thank God no-one had to save your sorry ass.
I hope no-one ever does save his sorry ass. We need to thin the herd of these kind of throw backs.
That's hilarious, Woz2000! And it's even funnier that people are upset about your comment. It's nice that the doctors were nearby to help them, and that payment wasn't mentioned in the article. I think the family should at least offer to pay. Now, before people jump on me and call me names, I'd like to paint a picture: You're walking past a hospital and a tree falls on you. Doctors rush out and save you. Is it free? Are you exempt from payment because the emergency wasn't your fault? Or because the doctors were in the area anyway? Or because it was spectacular?
I'm sure any kind of malpractice suit would be unlikely, and given the urgent nature of the situation, the doctors would be in more danger of losing their license if they had refused to help.
Good for the rescuers, I'm glad everyone made it out alive.
God's Blessings to the family...so glad y'all made it! :)
Good outcome to a bad situation. Great to hear it ended well although I'm sure they will not soon forget the ordeal.
This is the first I've heard of this, yet the article states that this occurred back on Jan.11th. Were they in the hospital until most of that time before heading home to Texas?
Wonderful - they are lucky to be alive!
Can I get a whoot whoot?
A happy story! Whoopee! Waiting all night for that one.
They'll always remember that trip.......
Glad to hear you are all ok :)
waste of money taking a 4 year old on the trip, he wont remember anything cept he got to go for a swim, taking lil kids on vacation isnt too bright,espically to countries outside of the u.s. in fact taking them to disney land is a waste of money when they ar e in a stroller, better off to board them at a kennel
Funny one Zip...I got a kick out of your post, thanks for the laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you don't have any kids, if you think they should be put in a kennel. YOU are a sick animal.
And you need to unravel your panties quite a bit there OhioDiane. They seem a bit twisted.
I love a great ending! The entire family was saved, thanks to the actions of the Navy and the husbands quick reactions.
fair winds shipmate, great job
zippy.. Go crawl back under your rock you f**king troll
I can think of another grope of Texans that be a better fit for that plane.
Zippy, your an idiot......
Thats one way to make a splash... Glad to hear no one was hurt.
more money than brains
Wow, awesome story!
I heard it was a Roatan Boat captain named Miller that was first to the crash. Way to Go Captain Miller and the U.S.A. Navy! Honduras is a Great Country with wonderful People and I am glad that we have such great U.S.A. Military representation Here. It is nice that we do not have that kind of excitement here often. I will do the Roatan Plane ride myself soon if they continue.
Thank you to all that made the effort to save this family!
Why would you risk your family on a private plane in a third world country just for sightseeing? My kids are more valuable than that.
Engnenk...you put your kids in a car, so get off your high-horse.
@Barry - nice try but way off the mark. The vast majority of aircraft fatalities occur in small private planes. Don't try to use the number of miles traveled statistic because it doesn't hold up.
lol engnenk..Barry is so right. Your chances of a car crash since you drive literally every day, and that of a plane crash are astronomically different. Yet you get your children in a car every day basically. No, you had the nice try, but no cigar.
Third world country. plane ride? Buy a lottery ticket.