Skydivers Parachute Into Wisconsin Cornfield to Aid Plane Crash Survivors
Three skydivers parachuted near a plane crash in East Troy, Wisconsin, on Sunday, September 27, after the pilot of their jump aircraft spotted another plane go down. They landed near a cornfield that was difficult to reach from the road and went looking for the four people aboard.
Skydiving pilot Jonah Johnson told CBS 58 that he saw the other aircraft descend below the tree line and fail to reappear. He reported the crash by radio and offered to drop skydivers nearby to help.
Kevin Flynn of Skydive Milwaukee was one of the three who jumped. Flynn said he and fellow jumper John Bechtel were former emergency medical technicians. Tall corn initially hid the wreckage, so Flynn called out until he heard people answer. The jumpers reached the aircraft and helped a woman with a bleeding head injury before emergency crews arrived.
The plane crashed at about 1:30 p.m. south of East Troy Municipal Airport. All four occupants survived. Three were taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, while the fourth was evaluated and released at the scene. The extent of the injuries to those taken to the hospital was not immediately clear.
Skydive Milwaukee said the crashed plane was not part of its operation. Neighbors and local emergency agencies also helped at the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what caused the crash.
