[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 42 (Monday, March 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2831-S2832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HEROES IN A FLORIDA TRAGEDY

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to remember a South 
Carolina family and the heroes who struggled to rescue them. On one 
side, we have a tragedy that boggles the mind. On the other, there are 
dozens of quiet heroes whose courage is a blessing and reminder of what 
makes our people strong.
  On March 17, a small plane crashed off Key West, FL. Five people--the 
pilot and four members of the Blackburn family--died. A son, 10-year-
old Matthew Blackburn, miraculously survived. Our prayers are with both 
families. We mourn their deaths and pray for a speedy recovery for 
young Matthew.
  At the same time, we should all feel a deep sense of gratitude for 
Americans who risk their lives everyday for others. In this tragedy, 
trained rescue workers, lifeguards, police officers, and paramedics put 
their lives in danger to save the pilot and family. Even more 
noteworthy are other volunteers, such as a boat captain and diver, who 
went out of their way to help as much as possible.
  Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the Record the March 24 
article from the Miami Herald to pay tribute to these heroes and to 
leave a lasting memorial to those who perished.
  The article follows:

                 [From the Miami Herald, Mar. 24, 1996]

                          Heroes in the Moment

                 (By Susana Bellido and Ozzie Osborne)

       Key West.--In one sickening moment, a seaplane bound for 
     the Dry Tortugas crashed into five feet of water off key 
     West's busiest road last Sunday, trapping a family of five 
     and the pilot under water.
       In the seconds and minutes that followed:
       One by one, tourists and Key West resident, police officers 
     and paramedics, students and workers jumped into the water.
       Despite the horrid scene, the sting of fuel in the eyes, 
     the despair of seeing children die in their hands, they did 
     what they could.
       In an unsynchronized maneuver, they cleared the way for 
     each other, they yielded to the most experienced, they 
     fetched equipment, they formed a human chain to get the 
     victims to shore, they did what had to be done.
       The did all the could.
       When it was all over, five people were dead: Lynn and 
     Pamela Blackburn, a couple from Charleston, S.C, who had 
     arrived in Key West the night before on vacation; their 6-
     year-old son Jonathan and 3-year-old daughter Martha; and the 
     pilot, Keith Bellow of Gretna, La., father of three.
       The only survivor was Matthew Blackburn, a 10-year-old who 
     defied the odds and is recovering from broken bones and other 
     injuries.
       With him are the hopes of the everyday people who reacted 
     to an extraordinary situation with selfless courage.
       With him is their sympathy, for he was the only one they 
     could save.
       They are the heroes. Here are some of their stories.


    Andy Matroci--boat captain was one of the first in murky water.

       Andy Matroci heard it hit. Something big, in the water.
       A boat captain and diver who searches for Spanish galleons, 
     Matroci had been riding his bike along North Roosevelt 
     Boulevard. He looked back. The wreckage was just 60 feet 
     away.
       Instantly, it seemed, people were wading toward the 
     wreckage. He took off his shoes and joined them.
       The water was still murky from the crash. He put his hand 
     into the plane and felt Pamela Blackburn's leg. He couldn't 
     reach her seat belt. He yelled to a guy on the other side to 
     try to get her out.
       ``I got one here,'' another man yelled. He asked for a 
     knife to cut loose a child.
       Somebody brought a mask out. Somebody asked for a pair of 
     shears. Someone was walking from shore with a pair. Matroci 
     fetched them.
       He carried one of the children to shore. He thought of 
     administering CPR, but water poured the child's mouth. He 
     handed the wilted body up the sea wall.
       We're not working fast enough, he thought. The seat belts 
     were slowing them down.
       After the last body was out, he retreated, climbed on his 
     bike and headed home.
       ``I keep thinking about that kid, Matthew, what he's got to 
     go through.


          Rusty Wayne--Dive master used knife to free victims

       Rusty Wayne, a dive master with Holiday Cat, left a 
     boatload of tourists and zipped to the crash on a water bike.
       ``You could see them inside, and they weren't moving.'' 
     They were belted in. He got his diving knife to cut them 
     free.
       He helped free Pamela Blackburn and one of the children. 
     When two paramedics arrived, he went back to shore for diving 
     equipment.
       Returning, he saw about 15 people helping. A human chain 
     had formed; strangers were

[[Page S2832]]

     passing victims to shore and rescue gear to the plane.
       ``I was a little afraid it was going to get congested, but 
     I could even hear people onshore calling, `Clear the way!' 
     Everybody did a small part, and it all worked out.''


         shane chapman--lifeguard yelled: i got one! i got one!

       Shane Chapman, a lifeguard from Anaheim Hills, Calif., was 
     poolside across the street at the Comfort Inn. He dashed 
     across the street and into the water.
       ``I swam underwater to see if I could find anyone . . . I 
     felt what I thought was a handbag. I went back up for air and 
     suddenly realized: It was a boy.
       ``I yelled that I need a knife. Some guy handed me one.
       ``I went back down, cut the seat belt and hollered: `I got 
     one! I got one!' Steve Hubler helped me drag him ashore, and 
     we realized he was alive when we turned him on his side and 
     saw he was breathing.
       ``I rushed back to the plane and swam back in the hole. 
     This time the water had settled and was cleared. I saw this 
     boy with yellow hair and a T-shirt, undid his seat belt and 
     pulled him up and someone helped us ashore.''


        steve hubler--ex-firefighter has nightmares about pilot

       Steve Hubler, a former volunteer firefighter from New 
     Jersey, was by the pool of the Econo Lodge. He ran over with 
     his scuba gear.
       He helped carry the three children to shore. Matthew, the 
     survivor, showed no signs of life at first. His arm was 
     shattered into the shape of an S.
       ``The part I'll never forget was the pilot, the last one. 
     We had a hell of a time getting him out. It was so dingy and 
     dark in there. He was trapped in there good. His face was so 
     frightening. I knew he was dead.''
       Hubler shivers when he remembers the rescues. He has 
     nightmares about it.
       ``It's going to stick with me for the rest of my life. I 
     wish to God we could have saved six lives, but at least we 
     saved the boy's life. If I know that Matthew has a chance to 
     live, I'm happy.''


       kristy kreidler--lifeguard on break struggled to free mom

       Kristy Kreidler, a spring breaker from Ohio State 
     University and a lifeguard, was having lunch across the 
     street at Denny's. She dashed across North Roosevelt 
     Boulevard and jumped in.
       As precious seconds ticked away, she struggled to free 
     those trapped within.
       ``We got the door open, pulled on this woman's leg. Then we 
     found her seat belt, unbuckled it and pulled her out.''


     michael kurant--disappointed that we couldn't save anyone else

       Michael Kurant, a hardware delivery driver and volunteer 
     Monroe County firefighter, was on his way out of town. He 
     pulled his Jeep up on the sea wall. Half a dozen people were 
     around the plane.
       ``The first thing I thought was everybody was dead,'' he 
     said. ``I didn't expect to get anybody out of the plane 
     alive.''
       He helped pull Pamela Blackburn out. She took a breath that 
     surprised them all. They found her pulse. They held her head 
     out of the water. They put her on a backboard lifted her up 
     the seawall and gave her first aid.
       When it was all over, he was disappointed and angry.
       ``I was madder than hell. We had done so much, and it 
     didn't do any good. With everything the people in the street 
     did, and the police and fire and paramedics * * * we couldn't 
     save anyone else.''


     al rodriguez--officer made call: Come fast, lights and sirens

       Al Rodriguez, first police officer on the scene, pulled up 
     at 12:34 p.m. He keyed his microphone: ``10-18,'' he told his 
     dispatcher, the code for come fast, lights and sirens.
       He took off his gun belt and jumped in, shoes and all. 
     Rodriguez held on to a paramedic trying to free the victims.
       The children in the accident gave everyone involved an 
     increased sense of urgency, Rodriguez said.
       ``You think about your own, and you put more effort into 
     saving them.''


  gary armstrong, david lariz, ed stress--gave mouth-to-mouth to one 
                          child, then another

       Key West Police Lt. Gary Armstrong pulled up. The crowd was 
     growing. He yelled for everybody to get back. They did, 
     making room for the victims.
       Paramedics were busy trying to revive Jonathan and Martha 
     at the sea wall or pulling bodies out of the wreckage. With 
     the help of Deputy Chief David Lariz and officer Ed Stress, 
     Armstrong gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to one child and 
     then the other.
       ``Everybody was working at top speed,'' Armstrong said. 
     ``It was chaotic, but everybody jumped in and worked and 
     worked and worked and worked. It just seemed like everybody 
     clicked in and set aside very difficult feelings. It was 
     impressive.''


          kunko celcer--medical tech fought to get air to boy

       Kunko Celcer, emergency medical technician, was working at 
     her second job at a car rental company when she heard the 
     commotion.
       She hurried over to help her fellow paramedics. The first 
     thing she noticed was that someone was trying to put a mask 
     on Matthew. She helped work on him.
       ``He was looking at me,'' she said. ``He was trying to 
     breathe on his own.''
       On the way to the hospital, the boy fought back efforts to 
     insert a tube in his airway.
       ``I've got to get this kid some air,'' she kept thinking. 
     ``It was scary, but you don't really think of that until it's 
     over.''


       alvah raymond sr.--this was the worst thing I'd ever seen

       Alvah Raymond Sr., a member of the Coast Guard, was riding 
     with an ambulance as part of his training for emergency 
     medical technician. Eight other classmates at Florida Keys 
     Community College participated in the rescue.
       Raymond helped perform first aid on Matthew. As a volunteer 
     firefighter, Raymond had seen plenty of tragedies, but 
     nothing quite like this. ``This was the worst thing I'd ever 
     seen.''


          paul scott, carl cleary--paramedics help gasping boy

       Pamela and Matthew Blackburn were out of the water when 
     Paul Scott, an Atlantic Key West Ambulance paramedic, 
     arrived. While his partner, Carl Cleary, got equipment ready, 
     he handed his radio to a bystander and jumped in the water.
       Scott helped with Jonathan. Another paramedic worked on 
     Martha.
       At the ambulance, Matthew was gasping. Cleary gave him 
     oxygen and tried to clear his airway. Scott tried to keep 
     Jonathan alive.
       ``You don't really think about other things but whatever 
     you're doing. You want to do so much,'' Cleary said.
       ``There wasn't a whole lot of time to be thinking,'' Scott 
     said. ``It was all on autopilot.''


 pablo rodriguez--paramedic couldn't see for ``blood, silt, gasoline''

       Pablo Rodriguez, another paramedic and the crew's 
     supervisor for the day, grabbed his fins, mask and snorkel 
     and jumped in the water. He found a small cramped opening in 
     the plane's fuselage and started to pull people out.
       He took Jonathan to the sea wall, swam back to help 
     untangle others.
       ``You couldn't really see because there was blood and silt 
     and gasoline.''
       In all, he helped to free four, including the pilot who was 
     strapped in.
       ``It was one of the saddest things I've ever experienced. 
     The only thing that I can gain is the importance of teamwork 
     and how grateful I am that we have such an experienced crew.
       ``It truly has devastated everyone, everybody that was 
     involved.''


 paul hansen, jim kavanaugh--paramedics hopscotch from victim to victim

       Paul Hansen and Jim Kavanaugh, also paramedics, were at the 
     emergency room when they got the call. They got some Coast 
     Guard trainees at the hospital to join them.
       ``When we got there it was pretty chaotic,'' Kavanaugh 
     said.
       Several bodies were out of the plane. Two groups of people 
     were giving first aid to two of the victims. A kid was coming 
     out of the water.
       ``It was like nothing I'd ever seen before,'' Hansen said. 
     ``There is nothing that prepares you for anything like that. 
     You can read the book till you're blue in the face.''
       Kavanaugh made sure every patient was cared for, and then 
     carried backboards out to the plane.
       Hansen worked on Martha, then her father, then her mother, 
     then back to the little girl. He took her to the hospital, 
     where everyone was busy, so he stayed and helped out.
       Kavanaugh radioed the hospital: three children and a woman 
     on the way, more to come.
       He asked firefighters and police officers to drive 
     ambulances so paramedics could tend to patients.
       Within 15 minutes of transporting the victims to the 
     hospital, the paramedics had four other emergency calls. It 
     wasn't until that night that they had time to reflect.
       Throughout the ordeal, the paramedics said, they kept their 
     thoughts focused on the job.
       ``If you sit there and start to flip out about it, you're 
     really not going to help anybody,'' Hansen said.


             harold gordon--maintenance man helped with cpr

       Harold Gordon, a Stock Island maintenance man, was taking 
     his wife to bingo when he saw the crowd. He pulled over. Two 
     boys were in the ambulance. A paramedic asked for help with 
     Jonathan.
       ``Push down on his chest! Harder! Do it again, harder,'' 
     Gordon remembers. ``I said to myself, `This little kid is too 
     small.' I had a feeling he was dead already.''
       He rode to the hospital with the brothers, then went home.
       ``There was nothing else I could do. I just felt terrible.
       ``Grown people are bad enough, but little children really 
     hurt.''

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