Two occupants of a small plane that became entangled in power lines were rescued early Monday after several hours of tedious planning by Montgomery County firefighters and power company officials.
Firefighters got the call about 5:30 p.m. and found a small plane dangling about 100 feet in the air entangled in power lines. Pepco officials shut off electricity, plunging thousands of residents in the dark.
Firefighters were in contact with the pilot via cell phone as they developed their delicate rescue effort that involved multiple agencies. From the onset, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Services Spokesman Pete Piringer said the operation would be a lengthy one.
"There is no other way to determine if it's safe to access the tower until it is grounded, or bonded," Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said at one of his press conferences at the scene.
At around 11:30 p.m., crews were successful in grounding the power lines. About 45 minutes later, the plane was stabilized and completely secured to the tower. By 12:36 a.m., both the pilot and passenger were back on the ground -- after seven hours.
The pilot, Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. and his passenger, Jan Williams, 66, from Louisiana, managed to climb out of the plane into the bucket, which the chief said was extremely helpful.
The two were taken to a trauma center for treatment of serious injuries.
"Everyone working together in unison is what makes this successful," Goldstein said.
