Alaska News

Police want to honor plane-crash rescuers

Anchorage police are looking for the bystanders who helped pull to safety the victims of the plane that crashed in Fairview last week. "These Good Samaritans risked their own lives and saved the lives of four occupants of the downed plane," Lt. Dave Parker said.

The Cessna 206 crashed shortly after takeoff from Merrill Field on June 1. It smashed into an empty building on nearby Ingra Street. Bystanders hurried to the scene before paramedics and rescuers could arrive. They lifted the wing of the burning plane to pull out the occupants.

One child, 4-year-old Myles Cavner, died. His parents, Preston Cavner, 34, and Stacie Cavner, 32, along with another son, Hudson Cavner, 2, were critically injured. Another woman on board, 16-year-old Rachel Zientek, was also seriously injured.

Anyone with information that can help police identify the rescuers is asked to contact Lt. Garry Gilliam at 786-8647.

"We want to honor their courage and willingness to intervene and save lives," Parker said. "They risked their lives getting that close to an exploding airplane."

Anchorage Daily News / adn.com

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