MELBOURNE, Fla. – A passenger onboard a small plane that crashed into the ocean on Tuesday is sharing her story of survival.
Olympia Outten was among 11 people on the charter flight that had taken off from the Bahamas before going down.
According to Outten, the pilot lost sight of land during a storm, and the aircraft had engine trouble before it went down.
“I said, ‘How are you going to put the plane in the water? If you put the plane in the water, how are we going to live?” Outten said.
The impact injured many of the passengers, and the aircraft started filling with water.
“All I saw was that water around us and my niece, she was on the wing. She told me, ‘Auntie, swim!’ I said ‘I can’t swim,’” Outten said.
Everyone was able to make it to a life raft, which was adrift for more than five hours before the group was rescued.
“When I saw the plane, I jumped for joy in all of my heart. I waved my hands in the air and said ‘Thank you, Jesus,” Outten said.
U.S. Air Force pilots from the 920th Rescue Wing spotted the life raft after a routine training mission nearby.
All 11 people onboard the aircraft were taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center and survived their injuries.
“They saved us, and they saved me and my family,” Outten said. “If it wasn’t for them, we probably would still be there right now.”