Almost everyone in western Montana felt the triumph and tragedy associated with last week's crash of a small airplane ferrying U.S. Forest Service workers into the Great Bear Wilderness. It was the kind of accident that makes you stop and think.
First, of course, comes grief. Forest Service employees Ken Good and Davita Bryant, along with pilot Jim Long, died after the Cessna 206 slammed into the flank of the Flathead Range on Sept. 20. The plane was destined for Schafer Meadows, a remote airstrip inside the Great Bear Wilderness, from which the Forest Service workers intended to carry out some projects. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The Schafer airstrip can be challenging, especially in bad weather. Whatever the cause of the crash, the lives of three good people were cut short, and their families, colleagues and many friends have been dealt a painful blow. It's tragic, indeed.
We all have a lot of control over our lives, but sometimes things hinge on chance, things you can't control, including heroics by the person sitting next to you. Hogg and Ramige are lucky to be alive, but they're also alive because they made the most of their luck. There's a lesson there for the rest of us.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)