3-month-old among passengers taken to hospitals after 737 skids into St. Johns River

Officials: All passengers have been treated, released from hospitals

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three children were among nearly two dozen patients taken to area hospitals overnight after a Boeing 737 slid off a Naval Air Station Jacksonville runway into the St. Johns River, WJXT-TV reports.

One of those children was admitted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital but was released Saturday after being treated, hospital officials said. NAS Jacksonville commanding officer Capt. Mike Connor said that child was a 3-month-old baby who was kept overnight for observation.

The chartered Boeing 737 carried 142 people from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to NAS Jacksonville.

All of the patients had been released by Saturday morning, hospital officials confirmed.

"I want to thank the local community, thank first responders (and) the city of Jacksonville for the amazing support as well as all the community organizations -- Red Cross -- that have come out and supported the Navy and the passengers," Connor said.

The Red Cross sent 43 workers and volunteers to help everyone involved -- passengers, crew and first responders -- with water, food, snacks, blankets, cots, clothing and other basic needs, including mental health counseling.

The Navy provided shelter to people who needed a place to stay for the night.

Pamair Ahmad’s father was one of the passengers treated at an area hospital.

“I think he was on a business trip. He did seem calm, which was relieving a little bit. It was really chaotic. You could tell. He said he hit his head a little bit against the wall on the plane, but other than that, they did do a couple of scans on him to make sure he was good,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad said he is extremely thankful his dad is alive and well.

“He’s never allowed to leave the house,” Ahmad said. “He can stay home forever.”

NAS Jacksonville officials said they still haven't been able to retrieve pets from the cargo hold of the plane. A Navy statement early Saturday said safety issues have prevented rescuers from retrieving the animals on board.

The statement said, "Our hearts and prayers go out to those pet owners."

The plane remains stuck in shallow water.

A "Go Team" of 16 investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board was dispatched to determine what happened. The first of the team members arrived Saturday to begin the investigation.

This article is courtesy of WJXT-TV in Jacksonville.


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