The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-09-07
Filler RESCUED FROM OCEAN
BROUGHT FIRST TO MANTEO
AIRPORT In HELICOPTER
1t. Preston SpringstOn, South Norfolk Navy
flier, Jumped From Height of $4,000 Feet
Into Ocean Off Kitty Hawk When Plane
Caught Fire; Rescued by HelicOpter From
Eliz. City Air Base.

TWO miles IN the air, was rescued
by a Coast Guard helicopter Tues
day morning and brought into the
Manteo Airport, where it took on
fuel before going back to Eliza
beth City.
The sea off Mays Head was so
vast and lonely Tuesday about
1890 am. there wasn't even a gull
in sight for a time after a single
parachute opened high above the
water and a Norfolk Naval Re-
serve pilot drifted down from
height of 10000 feet to await
rescue.
l. His F8F Grammar "Bearcat"
had caught fire in the air minutes
before and crashed into the water
some 80 miles off Kitty Hawk.
1t. (jg) Preston S. Springston,
USNR, 80, of 231 Hardy Avenue,
Berkeley, floated on his "Mae West"
and hung on to the idea of survival
for so minutes while he waited for
help. Several times he swallowed
the salty water as 10-foot swells
rolled over his head.
He was rescued by Coast Guard
helicopter after a 10-minute wait
in comparative comfort in a raft
dropped by the HRP Piasecki hell
copter piloted by 1t. J. W. Swan
son, USCG, based at the Coast
Guards Elizabeth City station.
His Closest Call
Those minutes in the sea were
Springston's closest brush with
disaster, an experience he doesn't
want to repeat again. An aircraft
: instrument mechanic apprentice al
the Naval Air Station, he is on
two weeks active duty with his
fighter squadron, VF-861 and was
on a routine practice flight.
| His only injuries as a result of
bailing out Of the plane were a
bruised chin, a stiff upper lip and
bruised foot and leg.
He was hungry when he got
home, a little shaky too, but most
ly he was disturbed about the
sudden publicity coming his way.
He was adding a little throttle
when suddenly he heard a small
muffied explosion. The plane got
hot inside, then smoky, and over
his radio Springston heard the
other Pilots advising him to bail
out.
"Boy, that parachute o o k d
beautiful blossoming out above
me-" he said, explaining that he
ripped his left shoe while getting
out of the plane.
First Jump
When he pulled the "T' handle
of his chute Springston embarked
on his first parachute jump in
eight years of flying.
His self-infating suit was big
help in keeping him up in the
water for almost an hour, but be-
fore he got settled for the long
wait he almost lost his "Mae
West"
"a bobbing head is kind of hard
to see from the air so put out the
yellow dye marker. 1t was good to
see those planes circling above me
and know that they were interested
i in me-" he said.
-; The first raft sent down to him
was lost. 1t was not inflated and
could not be seen well. The second
was inflated and had temporary
sea anchor and, Springston re-
called, "was comfortable" after his
soaking. AS soon as he got in, he
removed his shoes, which were
streaked with salt when dry, his
socks and the "Mae West"
The big banana-shaped helicopter
lowered over the raft for 10 min
utes before it picked him up. 1t
landed at Manteo, N. c., for fuel
before going on to Elizabeth City
where Springston was examined
and put aboard patrol bomber
which flew him back to Norfolk.
He was the first to give his wife
any news of the accident.
cts a good thing our radio
wasn't working all day." she said
on his return late in the afternoon.
She appreciates her husbands
love for planes and will not mind
having him fly again so long as he
doesn't mind.
Hes crazy about planes" she
said. 's'fsl
Springston enlisted in the naval
aviation in 1912 and returned to
civilian life in 1916. He joined the
reserve unit in the Fall of 1948.
The Springstons were married in
South Norfolk five years ago and
have one son, Preston, Jr., aged
three.
The pilot went back to his flying
Thursday and viii complete his
duty with the reserve unit Sunday.
He had no filters about getting
into another plane.