Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story
In October 1984, a commuter plane crashed in northern Alberta. Of the 10 people aboard, there were 4 survivors: the pilot, an RCMP constable, the prisoner he was ­transporting, and the author’s father, the late Larry Shaben, Alberta’s housing minister. Journalist Shaben relies heavily on the memories of the survivors, who formed an improbable bond as they waited, desperately, to be rescued from almost certain death from their injuries and from the freezing temperature. The rescue comes about halfway through the book. The rest of it explores the crash’s aftermath and the lives of the survivors. Paul Archambault’s story is the most interesting. A prisoner with a long rap sheet (car theft, breaking and entering), he became a hero after the crash, saving the RCMP constable’s life and helping to keep his fellow survivors warm and safe until the rescuers came. For him, the crash was a life-changing event, but ultimately his life ended tragically. Although author Shaben’s father was one of the survivors, she divides the limelight among all four of them. --David Pitt