Passenger describes escape from plane

It is hard to imagine the panic and confusion that occurred inside the overturned Cessna Caravan as passengers tried to feel their way out of the aircraft. The plane?s windows had broken on impact and the inside of the aircraft started to fill with water and debris causing visibility to be very poor. But thanks to an air pocket, water did not fill the entire passenger compartment and it gave them just enough time to make their dramatic departure from the plane. One of the first passengers out of the aircraft was Kevin Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was seated at the front of the aircraft, not only managed to free himself but quickly helped others to get out. This evening he spoke with News 5’s Jacqueline Woods about his harrowing experience.

Kevin Gonzales, Passenger, Flight 2110
?Yes, it was pretty bad. But I have to say it was with a lot of luck that people managed to get out. It could have been worse if the water was deeper. I think we probably would have had some deaths.?

Jacqueline Woods
?Where were you seated and how did you manage to get out??

Kevin Gonzales
?I was seated behind the co-pilot and when the plane flipped, I guess in haste, I managed to open the co-pilot door and swam out and then I started to help people that was coming out and needed to get out.?

Jacqueline Woods
?Tell me about that rescue.?

Kevin Gonzales
?Well, it happened so quick that I guess it?s just a kind of reaction that you know you need to get out and that?s what you do. Then you know the next thing is to help people that need help. So we started to lift people from outside and put them on the wing and other parts of the plane that was still in a float. It was a little bit scary, particularly, since the plane flipped. So being upside down was confusing to everybody.?

?People reacted initially when the plane hit. There were some screams, but after that people realized that they were trapped and the best thing is to be calm and everybody would get out somehow. It worked out. It was luck.?

Jacqueline Woods
?How quickly did it happen? Were you aware that you were about to crash??

Kevin Gonzales
?It happened quickly. It took like seconds and sitting in the front, I guess you could have seen that the plane was going down and in a matter of seconds you just saw the water rushing over the windshield and that was it. It was over.?

Jacqueline Woods
?The pilot Mr. Proehl, I understand that he was trapped as well, struggling trying to get free, but once he managed he immediately turned his attention to his passengers.?

Kevin Gonzales
?When I got out I couldn?t see him, but I felt him because I was standing where the passenger door is for the pilot and I felt somebody struggling but the water was murky so I just couldn?t see. When I looked later on I saw him swam out from the same side. But he did a good job in helping as much as he could. Under the circumstances people were just scared and frightened.?

Gonzalez says he would like to give thanks to the ambulance service that responded quickly and to Carlos Diaz, whose boat just happened to be in the area and quickly helped ferry everyone to shore. Following the interview Gonzalez boarded his usual flight at five thirty to his home in San Pedro.