Photo: Johner Images / Johner Images Royalty-Free / Getty Images
A man and two children were found alive on Monday (March 24) after their small plane crashed on a frozen lake in Alaska. The trio, who are immediate family members, endured a harrowing 12 hours on the ice before being rescued with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred on Tustumena Lake in the Kenai Peninsula.
The plane, a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, was reported overdue around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday. The wreckage was discovered the following morning by Terry Godes, a good Samaritan who spotted the plane's wing while flying overhead.
Godes told Good Morning America, "At first, I could tell it was an airplane wing... I could see that there [were] three people on top of the wing. It was really good to see."
The Alaska Army National Guard rescued the family around 10:30 a.m. and transported them to a hospital. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.