Posted by John Nieman
Dave Anderson's impossible rescue from the Bering Sea.

Life expectancy in 38 degree water is about 6 minutes!  Yet Dave Anderson and six others who crashed into the Bering Sea survived long enough to be rescued from 30 miles away.

Dave Anderson is a Lutheran minister who led a ministry roadshow to Alaska.  Word of his uplifting presentation made its way to Russia.  He accepted an invitation to visit and put on his show.  On his return to Nome, AK, the planes engines failed.  Dave, his wife, the pilot, and 4 others on the trip crashed into the icy waters off Sledge Island in the Bering Strait.  Luckily they had empty gas cans in the plane because the plane quickly sunk.  The gas cans served as flotation devices.

A commercial flight in the area diverted and spotted what they thought were survivors.  Helecopters were dispatched from Nome.  Heroic flying by the helecopter pilots placing the body of their craft in the sea to pluck the weakened survivors from the water resulted in all 7 people in the crashed plane being rescued.

The chances of a commercial flight being in the area and being able to spot people in the water.  The chances of the two helecopters in Nome being available.  The chances of being able to set a helecopter down into the choppy water without going down.  The chances of anyone surviving in icy water long enough to be resued.  Surely, miracles happen.