On September 22, 2021, a plane crashed just 30 miles southwest of Page, Arizona. The plane came from San Martin, California, and it went down as it was descending into the Arizona city. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
It was a smaller plane with two humans and one dog inside. The pilot died amid the crash while the passenger was severely injured. The dog survived but ran off in a panic immediately after. Luckily, officials later tracked down the skittish and traumatized pup. He’s now in the safety of a familiar home, but it may take him some time to recover.
An Unexpected Crash
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, which occurred at around 9:25 pm. They identified the pilot as Jim Petersen and the passenger as Uta Petersen. They didn’t say how they were related. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the incident, trying to discover the cause of the crash.
Then, officials spotted a dog amid the plane wreckage, looking incredibly confused. When someone tried to approach him, he ran off in fear. They didn’t see the dog again that day.
Officials took Uta Petersen to a Utah hospital, but her injuries haven’t been disclosed yet. Jim Petersen’s body went to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s office for further investigation.
Dog Returns to Safety
Investigators returned to the scene three days later, and to their surprise, the dog was back. He sat beside the wreckage again but bolted when he saw the helicopter land. The crew members used water to lure the dog to them, and they put a leash on him to prevent him from escaping again.
The dog was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, but other than that; he was in good shape despite everything. Somehow, he didn’t seem to have any major injuries from the crash. His survival was like a miracle.
“This tough guy seemed to be in decent shape for having survived a plane crash and a few days in the Arizona wilderness,” wrote the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The air rescue team took the dog to the Page Airport, which was his initial destination. From there, Coconino County officers reunited the pup with his family members. It may take him some time to calm down after this traumatic incident, especially if he was close to the humans on board. Hopefully, Uta Petersen will have a speedy recovery.