Search Ends For Lake Michigan Crash Survivors

Authorities today called off search for finding four people missing since a small plane plunged into Lake Michigan Friday morning. The plane crashed while flying a cancer patient to the Mayo Clinic. Jerry Freed, the 66-year-old pilot of the plane, was rescued following the crash several miles off the west Michigan coast. The rescuers searched for the missing persons for 27 hours but in vain. “Rescuers concluded there was little chance anyone else had survived,”said Petty Officer Brandon Blackwell of the U.S. Coast Guard's district headquarters in Cleveland.
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"We can resume a search if credible information is received that persons missing may be alive. At this point, we saturated an area that's approximately 1,000 square miles . . . and we've turned up nothing," Petty Officer Blackwell told the Associated Press.

The missing persons are co-pilot Earl Davidson; Alma schools Superintendent Don Pavlik; his wife, Irene; and Dr. James Hall. All were residents of Alma, a central Michigan town 150 miles northwest of Detroit. Pavlik was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus earlier this week and Freed and Davidson had offered to fly him to the medical center in Rochester, Minn., for treatment. Dr. Hall joined them, said Costanzo.


Talking to Mount Pleasant Morning Sun Dr. Hall's wife, Ann, said that the doctor's medical bag had been recovered. "We are praying to God that all (will) be taken care of. We love you. Jim," wrote James Hall. Freed was released from the hospital yesterday, confirmed hospital spokesman Bill Kerans. He added that Freed was unwilling to give an interview.

"We can resume a search if credible information is received that persons missing may be alive. At this point, we saturated an area that's approximately 1,000 square miles . . . and we've turned up nothing," Petty Officer Blackwell told the Associated Press.

The missing persons are co-pilot Earl Davidson; Alma schools Superintendent Don Pavlik; his wife, Irene; and Dr. James Hall. All were residents of Alma, a central Michigan town 150 miles northwest of Detroit. Pavlik was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus earlier this week and Freed and Davidson had offered to fly him to the medical center in Rochester, Minn., for treatment. Dr. Hall joined them, said Costanzo.


Talking to Mount Pleasant Morning Sun Dr. Hall's wife, Ann, said that the doctor's medical bag had been recovered. "We are praying to God that all (will) be taken care of. We love you. Jim," wrote James Hall. Freed was released from the hospital yesterday, confirmed hospital spokesman Bill Kerans. He added that Freed was unwilling to give an interview.

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