Crash landing next to an ice floe. Whew.
CANOE — CNEWS – Canada: Pilots who survived Arctic crash lucky to be alive
The windshield smashed on impact, and forced his door shut, but he managed to stick his head far enough out of the window and smash the glass with his back.
The water was to the roof in five seconds, he said.
Fortunately, one wing of the plane was resting on an ice floe. The ice was strong enough for both to walk across the wing to the ice before the plane disappeared into the freezing water.
That left the two men alone, under a half moon and a darkening sky, with no food, shelter, heat or flares.
Unsure of the strength of the ice, they paced within a one-metre radius, trying to keep warm. The survival suits kept both men relatively dry, except their hands and feet, which were frostbitten.
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