Evening star., 1946-09-22
.He|icopter Used
ToRen|oveEight
Crash Survivors
Completion of Rescue
Waits on Daylight;
Doctor at Scene
BY the ASsocioied Press

1nANDG1e hA1tA obA L, IN
foundland, Sept. 21.-An Ameri-
can Coast Guard helicopter and
flying boats, shuffling back and
forth over lakes and forests of
n or h e a tern Newfoundland,
brought eight survivors of the
Sabena airliner crash to a hos
pital at the Gander air base to-
night before darkness fell.
Ten other survivors remain to be
brought out when rescue operations
are resumed at daybreak.
Capt. w. C. Mcconnell, comman-
der of the Gander Base Army de-
tachment, said these were the five
hospitalized tonight:
Jean Roocki, airline hostess and
only survivor in plane crew of
seven, both legs broken, condition
critical; Rudi Revil, New York COM
poser and musician, both hands
badly burned and internal injuries;
Walter Devos of Ghent, Belgium,
fractured leg; Helen Ruth Hender-
son, of New York, Girl Scout execu-
tive, and Mrs. Renee Jacquet of
Courtrai, Belgium, burns about the
face.
Enjoys Son Rescued.
The rescue flyers also evacuated
John King, 19-year -old son of the
Chinese ambassador to Belgium;
Mrs, Leona Tonchet of Brussels and
Joseph Deschuyffeleer of Brussels.
Their injuries were not Immediately
learned.
The last patient evacuated before
darkness set in was Mr.. Deschuyf-
feleer, who was flown directly to the
Gander airport in the helicopter
piloted by 1t. August Kleisch of the
Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard rescue teams,
each composed of helicopter and a
ply Catalina flying boat, began the
daring rescue operation at AZ pm,
when LII Kleisch took off from
Gander for tiny plateau near the
scene OF the tragedy. Soon the first
survivor, Miss Roocki, was whisked
away in the helicopter and taken to
Catalina which was waiting in a
lake flve miles away to bring her
: here.
Winces With Pain.
Miss Roocki covered her face with
a blanket as she was lifted from the
plane on arrival and placed in an
ambulance for removal to the Sir
Frederick Banting Memorial Hos
pital. Mr.. Revil WINGED with pain
as he eased out of the craft, both
hands and arms wrapped in band
ages. He was wearing no trousers
just long underwear.
Thanks for America" said Mr..
Devos as he was taken out. He
smiled and told attendants to take
it easy" Miss Henderson appeared
to be in good spirits. The extent
of her injuries was not disclosed.
Back in the emergency camp,
deep in the wilderness, where the
remaining survivors must spend
their fourth night, morale was said
to be high, what with the weather
warming up and skies clearing.
Conditions were said to be good
for completing the rescue work to-
morrow.
The big Catalina plane bearing
Miss Roocki arrived here at $40
pm, less than nine hours after the
Grated helicopters reached this air
base aboard Air Transport Com
mand Skymasters from New York.
One of the helicopters was dam
aged while being assembled, and
make-shift repairs had to be made.
Would Finish by Noon.
The rescue party did not indi-
cate when the work of removing
the bodies of the 26 persons killed
in the crash last Wednesday would
begin. 1t was estimated that all
the survivors would have been
evacuated by noon tomorrow.
The patients were taken by hell
copter for Smile flight to the lake
and then flown to the hospital by
flying boat. On some trips the am
phibious PHYS carried two patients
at a time and on other times but
one, depending on the condition Of
the individual.
The most perilous phase of the
operation was the transfer of the
patients from helicopter to flying
boat. Early in the day a Coast
Guard crew flew in load of tlmbers
which were placed together on the
soggy lake shore to prevent the
rescuers from sinking in the mud.
Because of the morass. the Phys
were unable to moor at the edge of
the beach and the crew members
had to lift the injured on their
shoulders and then wade out to the
planes in chest-deep water.
DR.. James Payton. head of the
hospital, refused to permit the in
jured to talk with newsmen. Other
doctors were flown to Gander airport
1See pr IANE CRASH page Az