air florida flight 90 survivor priscilla tirado air florida flight 90 survivor priscilla tirado

He was promoted to captain in August 1980. Though it was once a robust airline, flying to 30 cities through Florida, the Northeast, and the Caribbean, the company filed for bankruptcy and grounded its fleet in July 1984. At the same time, several military personnel from the Pentagon - Steve Raynes, Aldo De La Cruz and Steve Bell - ran down to the water's edge to help Olian. According to the affidavits, she said she had been drinking and smoking marijuana and crack, a potent form of cocaine. [4]:2, The Boeing 737 was deiced with a mixture of heated water and monopropylene glycol by American Airlines, under a ground-service agreement with Air Florida. I never knew that it actually had a name until nowor that it was named after an incredible man who gave his life so selflessly only a few feet from where thousands of commuters cross into DC every day. At 4:01pm EST, it crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River, 0.75nmi (1,390m) from the end of the runway. 15:59:58 CAM-2 God, look at that thing. He later saw the rescue on a late night television news program. The aircraft was carrying 74 passengers and five crew members. One pilot is designated the pilot flying (PF) and the other as pilot not flying (PNF); however, the PIC retains the ultimate authority for all aircraft operations and safety. Air Florida Flight 90 in DC had a significant impact on regional cooperation and crew resource management", "WTOP-TV The One & Only Channel 9's History", "Video: 1982 report on Air Florida crash", "Air Florida Flight 90 Crash: 30th Anniversary | wusa9.com", "Stern on Stern: 'I Had a Lot of Rage, and I Was Going to Let It Out. . According to the coroner, Williams was the only passenger to die by drowning. ", Tirado "is doing very well" under the circumstances, her father said. Now in semiretirement, he is building a bed-and-breakfast in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. On May 8, 1980, though, he was suspended after failing a Boeing 737 company line check and was found to be unsatisfactory in these areas: adherence to regulations, checklist usage, flight procedures such as departures and cruise control, and approaches and landings. To me, that bridge was always the 14th Street Bridge. The images would becomeseared intothe memories of Washingtonians through the years: the Potomac swallowing the planeexcept for a slice of its tail section;the dazedeyes of a passenger, her head barely abovewater as she gripped a safety ring during a rescue attempt;a truck hanging over the bridge after being struck by the jetliner;a survivor clinging to a rope line dangled from a U.S. Park Policehelicopter. I want to celebrate these elms which have been spared by the plague, these survivors of a once flourishing tribe commemorated by all the Elm Streets in America. The aircraft involved, a Boeing 737-222, registered as N62AF, was manufactured in 1969 and previously flown by United Airlines under the registration N9050U. Moments after takeoff, the plane with 74 passengers and five crew members failed to maintain altitude and slammed intothe bridge, striking seven occupied vehicles and plummeting into the Potomac. Before it reached the shore, both Tirado and Felch lost their grip and fell back into the water. The flight was due to depart at 14:15, but prolonged heavy snowfall, accompanied by . His body and those of the other occupants were later recovered. 2022-01-13. But Williams would drown after dramaticallypassingthehelicopter rescue ropeto others. [27] Paul Turk, the publications director of the aviation consultancy firm Avmark Inc., said that many airlines faced difficulties in the 1980s due to fare wars, a recession, and decline in travel, and that Air Florida had already faced increasing debt and financial losses prior to the crash. TAMPA, Fla. -- Priscilla Tirado, 22, one of the survivors of the Air Florida plane crash in Washington Wednesday, had returned to this country in October from Madrid, Spain, with her 26-year-old immigrant husband, Jose. With Jeannetta Arnette, Barry Corbin, Stephen Macht, Dinah Manoff. The engines' anti-ice heaters were not engaged during ground operation and takeoff. I dont know how people could go through something like this without faith, she said. Elementary School was dedicated in his hometown of Mattoon in Coles County, Illinois. Survivors of the crash indicated the trip over the runway was extremely rough, with survivor Joe Stiley a businessman and private pilot saying that he believed that they would not get airborne and would "fall off the end of the runway". He spends about two of every six weeks there and considers it his home. At this point, flight controllers were aware only that the plane had disappeared from radar and was not responding to radio calls, but had no idea of either what had happened or the plane's location. The crash occurred in a blinding snowstorm, just 30 minutes before the only fatal subway crash in Metro's history, on a day that permanently shaped the concept of disaster for Washingtonians. The Capstan was considerably farther downriver on another search-and-rescue mission. Someone grabbed some short rope and battery cables and he went out again, maybe only going 30 feet. The scheduled departure time was delayed about 1 hour and 45 minutes because of a backlog of arrivals and departures caused by the temporary closing of Washington National Airport. He and his assistant, Patricia Felch, were aboard Flight 90 when it crashed. Thirty-seven years earlier, on another frigid Jan. 13, a similar storm poundedthe D.C. areaand led to one of the most hauntingtragedies in the city's history: the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the icy depths of the Potomac River. Joe Stiley told ABCNEWS in 1982, that the freezing water jarred him into consciousness. The water in the Potomac that day was only six degrees warmer. Five survived. "A Hero Passenger Aids Others, Then Dies". [4]:90, The first officer was described by personal friends and pilots as a witty, bright, outgoing individual with an excellent command of physical and mental skills in aircraft piloting. [4]:5 The following is a transcript of Flight 90's cockpit voice recorder during the plane's acceleration down the runway. And Tirado, whom her father described as "a very private person," has found emotional release by working on a novel based on a plane crash and by volunteering at a local animal shelter. The rescue attempts by emergency officials and witnesses were recorded and broadcast live by area news reporters. Air Florida Flight 90 was a scheduled U.S. domestic passenger flight operated by Air Florida from Washington National Airport now Ronald Reagan The helicopter then proceeded to where Felch had fallen, and paramedic Gene Windsor dropped from the safety of the helicopter into the water to attach a line to her. He resumed his duties after passing a retest on August 27, 1980. The man passed them to the others. Tirado, Priscilla, 23, of Spain CONFIRMED DEAD Nine bodies thought to be from Flight 90 have been recovered from the Potomac River. Returning to GTE 18 months later after intense physical therapy. "I remember thinking to myself at the time: I wonder what I'll be doing 10 years from now," she said. Clinging to the tail section of the broken airliner in the ice-choked Potomac River were flight attendant Kelly Duncan and four passengers: Patricia "Nikki" Felch, Joe Stiley, Arland D. Williams Jr. (strapped and tangled in his seat), and Priscilla Tirado. It filed for bankruptcy and grounded its fleet in July 1984. John Goldsmith, an off-beat reporter for WDVM-TV (now WUSA),[13] happened to be at National Airport prior to the incident doing a story on the snowstorm, and even caught footage of Flight 90 prior to takeoff. 16:00:45 CAM-1 Forward, forward, easy. [14] He was first on the air with the story.[15][16][17]. Thank you for writing about this tragedy. It also found the Air Florida crew didn't have the experience to question the captain. He left within two weeks. Listen to Its Engine", Executive Summary - NTSB Report AAR-82/08 Air Florida, Inc., Boeing 737-222, N62AF, Collision with 14th Street Bridge near Washington National Airport Washington, D.C. January 13, 1982, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_Florida_Flight_90&oldid=1142355194, Crashed shortly after take off due to lack of. * Flight 90 was nearly two hours late when it lifted off National Airport's slushy main runway. A voice recorder captured the final moments before the plane crashed on Jan. 13, 1982. Skutnik grabbed survivor Priscilla Tirado who had been brought close to the shore by the . However, he was gone. He changed seats quickly, but still took the flight. Rescuers who reached the site were unable to assist survivors in the water because they did not have adequate equipment to reach them. The right wing hit the bridge span first as the plane descended, leaving a trail of debris. But those who were rescued say no amount of money can compensate them for the experience. ABC-TV News has. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Priscilla Tirado was too weak to grab the line when the helicopter dropped the line to her again. 'After he had been here a month Jose called me,' Keefer recalled today. By then some fire/rescue personnel had arrived, but military personnel and civilians were key in pulling the survivors from the shore up to waiting ambulances. Five people on board the plane survived the day. Aircrash Confidential also covered the accident in one of their episodes. The New York Times Magazine featured the survivors' story this past Sunday. Below-freezing waters and heavy ice made swimming out to them all but impossible. The anniversary always brings an extra emotional wrench to their lives, survivors said. Ah, maybe it is. Flight attendant Kelly Duncan, the only crew members to survive, said the crash seemed unreal. "I really feel that my life has been blessed.". The 14th Street Bridge that. The inaccurate mixture was the result of the replacement of the standard nozzle, "which is specially modified and calibrated, with a non-modified, commercially available nozzle." Custom Content. All charges were later dismissed. Exploring the strange and unusual in Northern Virginia, on Im Not Really Ready to Die: The Air Florida 90 Crash of 1982, Arresting Great Value James Bond: The Aldrich Ames House. Read more about this topic: Air Florida Flight 90, In this country, you never pull the emergency brake, even when there is an emergency. [27] Turk argued, "Air Florida would have folded without the crash". Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Air Florida, Inc., Boeing 737-222, N62AF, Collision with 14th Street Bridge near Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C., January 13, 1982", "AirDisaster.Com: Special Report: Air Florida Flight 90", "Air Florida disaster still chilling 27 years later", "Emergency Services Reacted Quickly to Jetliner's Crash", "A look back to another river crash. Williams, still strapped into the wreckage, passed one line to Joe Stiley, who was holding on to a panic-stricken and blinded (from jet fuel) Priscilla Tirado, who had lost her husband and baby. Ken Kaye of the South Florida Sun Sentinel said, "The Air Florida accident led to the carrier's eventual demise. This oversight was the first of many from the crew that contributed to the accident. At first, "I felt guilty for surviving," said Moore, who lives in Miami. The pilot moved him across the ice while avoiding the sides of the bridge. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. At approximately 4:20 p.m. EST, Eagle 1, a United States Park Police Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger helicopter (registry number N22PP) based at the "Eagles Nest" at Anacostia Park in Washington, and manned by pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. Windsor, arrived and began attempting to airlift the survivors to shore. At great risk to themselves, the crew worked close to the water's surface, at one time coming so close to the ice-clogged river that the helicopter's skids dipped beneath the surface. Emergency ground response was greatly hampered by ice-covered roads and gridlocked traffic; ambulances dispatched at 4:07 pm took 20 minutes to reach the crash scene. Air Florida Flight 90 was a scheduled U.S. domestic passenger flight operated by Air Florida from Washington National Airport (now Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, with an intermediate stopover at Tampa International Airport. According to a New York Times Magazine article, After hours of delays, when the plane was finally ready to push off, she took her seat, as required, at the back of the plane . [11] His body and those of the other occupants were recovered later. Don Usher and Gene Windsor,two Park Police helicopter pilots, managed to pull out four people. That had become a stale joke. She was the lone crew member to survive. "I had a good life with Jose. News media outlets followed the story with diligence. People stared, and someone had filled his job. It turns out, there was a pretty notable accident at National Airport in 1982: the crash of Air Florida Flight 90. Give us this day our daily bread. Hamilton, who started an Amway business four years ago, recalls the first jet he boarded after the accident. Sometimes my mind works in weird ways. Flight 90 never got higher than a few hundred feet, and the pilots saw the crash coming. Moments after takeoff, the plane. To the copter's two-man Park Police crew, he seemed the most alert. Many federal offices in downtown Washington had closed early that day in response to quickly developing blizzard conditions. She was arrested in Clearwater in 1987, on the fifth anniversary of the crash, charged. The Capstan was considerably farther downriver on another search-and-rescue mission. [4]:78, The investigation following the crash, especially regarding the failure of the captain to respond to crew concerns about the deicing procedure, led to a number of reforms in pilot-training regulations. "It was the same seat assignment as the day of the crash." One deicing vehicle was used by two different operators, who chose widely different mixture percentages to deice the left and right sides of the aircraft. Really cold here, real cold. . As a result, the industry formalized a concept known as "crew resource management," which means if either pilot, but notably the co-pilot, spots trouble, he should voice it loudly. Hamilton gives inspirational speeches to service clubs and other organizations throughout the country based on his crash experience, emphasizing how a brush with death can force a person to reexamine priorities in life. The point of impact was only approximately 4500 feet from the end of the airport runway. The planes dip so low when they descend, and climb so steeply when they ascend. Roger Olian and Lenny Skutnik, who were watching from the Virginia shore, braved death by hypothermia to try to save lives. I remember coming out of the airplane. Her husband Jose and their 9-week-old son Jason were among the 78 people who died. The Weather during the Titanic Disaster: Looking Back 100 Years., Associated Press, Potomac Mystery Hero Identified,. By then, some fire/rescue personnel had arrived to join the military personnel and civilians who pulled Hamilton (and the next/last three survivors) from the water's edge up to waiting ambulances. As the plane was readied for departure from DCA, a moderate snowfall continued and the air temperature was 24F (4C). I remember the ambulance. Virtually everyone who was in the area that day recalls where they were when they heard the news. Martin Leonard Skutnik III (born 1953 in Mississippi, known as Lenny) is a retired employee of the United States Congressional Budget Office who, on January 13, 1982, saved the life of Priscilla Tirado following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the frozen Potomac River, Washington, D.C. As passengers were being rescued, Tirado was too weak to take hold of the line dropped from a helicopter. . #Students and #UWaterloo alumni this is an opportunity to hear from a #UWaterloo #alumnus on how to start your own business and what it takes to be successful. It is imperative that the trains run on schedule.Friedrich Drrenmatt (19211990), Perhaps nothing in all my business has helped me more than faith in my fellow man. Those who had flown with him during stressful flight operations said that during those times, he remained the same witty, sharp individual, "who knew his limitations." A watching bystander, Congressional Budget Office assistant Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots, and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water and swam out to assist her. https://www.sunshineskies.com/airflorida.html, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8208.pdf, https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125881, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/04/magazine/afterward.html, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/the-weather-during-the-titanic-disaster-looking-back-100-years/2012/04/11/gIQAAv6SAT_blog.html. "I didn't want to hang around home. There are no markers or plaques commemorating him. The aircraft traveled almost half a mile (800 m) farther down the runway than is customary before liftoff was accomplished. By the time the helicopter crew could return for Williams, both he and the plane's tail section had disappeared beneath the icy surface. 16:00:48 CAM-1 Come on forward.forward, just barely climb. In 1985, the 14th Street Bridge was renamed the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge in his honor. At first she was mad at the people on the bank, who were staring helplessly at the six clinging to the tail section. The 737 had broken into several large pieces upon impact the nose and cockpit section, the cabin up to the wing attachment point, the cabin from behind the wings to the rear airstairs, and the empennage. Were they nervous to fly in these conditions, or just dreaming about the sunny weather that awaited them in Florida? In an ABC News article following the crash, he said he knew something was not right while the plane hurtled down the runway: You could see out one side, but not really the other side. Eventually, a tug ground unit properly equipped with snow chains was used to push the aircraft back from the gate. The day was also marked by stunning acts of heroism. [23], Roger Olian, Lenny Skutnik, Donald Usher, and Melvin Windsor each received the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal. Another passenger, Arland D. Williams, Jr., assisted in the rescue of the survivors, but drowned before he could be rescued. The operator had no means to determine if the proportioning valves were operating properly because no "mix monitor" was installed on the nozzle. Joseph Stiley breaks into tears spontaneously. This past spring, two of the five survivors died of natural causes. In 2003, the new Arland D. Williams Jr. While running through the takeoff checklist, the following conversation snippet took place (CAM-1 is the captain, CAM-2 is the first officer): Despite the icing conditions with weather temperature of about 24F (-4C), the crew failed to activate the engine anti-ice systems,[6] which caused the engine pressure ratio (EPR) thrust indicators to provide false readings. [4]:11,92, The pilot, Captain Larry M. Wheaton, aged 34, was hired by Air Florida in October 1978 as a first officer. That afternoon, the plane was to return to Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport in Dania, Florida, with an intermediate stop at Tampa International Airport. Here, Emily Yoffe. ", "It's too real to ever forget," agreed Kelly Moore, who was then Kelly Duncan and was working as an Air Florida flight attendant. For the film, see, An Air Florida Boeing 737-222 similar to the one involved. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. More than a year after the crash, Williams was honored in an Oval Office ceremony. The pilot was told not to delay because another aircraft was 2.5 miles (4km) out on final approach to the same runway. The crash was also dramatized in the 1984 made-for-TV movie Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac. Air Florida Flight 90, which was headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was scheduled for takeoff at 2:15 p.m., but weather delays and the process of de-icing the plane delayed departure until 4 p.m. Seventy-nine people were aboard the Boeing 737 jetliner. Priscilla Tirado was too weak to grab the line when the helicopter returned to her. The National Transportation Safety Board report later noted that the cabin separated from the cockpit and broke into three large sections and many smaller pieces. None of the cabin floor remained intact; most seats were extensively damaged and separated from the floor. The following have been officially identified: Calvin,. [12] A crew member and he, returning from another story, had been stuck in traffic in their news vehicle on the George Washington Parkway when the plane crashed a few hundred yards away from them. Jan. 13, 1982, hada second reason to be a dark day inWashington, D.C., history: About 30 minutes after the Air Florida incident, a subway train derailment in the heart of downtown led to the deaths of three passengers, the first fatalities involving the city's Metro system. I cant even recall seeing any other name for the bridge other than 14th Street. Joe Stiley, one of the survivors, was an experienced pilot. "I have relived that 34 minutes in the water many times," said Stiley, 52, a telecommunications consultant who now lives in Spokane, Wash. "There is a distinct emotional effect that is permanent, and that I'm not professionally prepared to describe. Nevertheless, "Life has so much more meaning now. At 4:01 PM on January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the icy Potomac River during a Washington snowstorm. To me, that bridge was always the 14th Street Bridge. Advertisement. Air Florida Flight 90. Keefer said he was sponsor on his son-in-law's immigration visa. The exhaust gases from the other aircraft melted the snow on the wings, but during takeoff, instead of falling off the plane, this slush mixture froze on the wings' leading edges and the engine inlet nose cone. FAA. On January 13, 1982, the Boeing 737-200 registered as N62AF, crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River. There was a much smaller one many years before and less serious (tell that to the people on that planelol). I remember a lot of other things related to the Air Florida crash, but I dont know how much of that was because of the coverage.. 'I've only been here in America a month and already I'm there,' Keefer quoted him as saying. Joseph Stiley, now 72, also remembers the day as being transformative. [29], Weeks after the accident, Air Florida's CEO and founder, Eli Timoner, had a debilitating stroke at age 53, causing additional management strain on the carrier. The flight has also been shown on the show When Weather Changed History on US-based The Weather Channel. A passenger changed jobs and now divides his time among Mexico, Washington state and Montana. The only major change at National since the accident is the construction of an overrun area at the north end of the main runway, which has been credited with saving lives in recent years. During that time, American Airlines personnel were deicing the aircraft. "Larry, we're going down, Larry," said First Officer Roger Pettit. The Air Florida accident led to the carrier's eventual demise. For the five survivors of Air Florida's crash into the 14th Street bridge and plunge into. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. They had three children, all now in their 20s. [4]:59. 6 minute read. On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., resulting in 78 fatalities. He does remember the vividness of life after the crash. Priscilla Tirado, now 43, survived the crash, but lost her 2-month-old son and husband in the crash. The display includes the U.S. Park Police helicopter involved in the rescue of Flight 90's survivors. I remember the (rescue) helicopter. But the emotional devastation of the Jan. 13, 1982, disaster continues to surface, and in some cases continues to grow, as the survivors struggle to get on with their lives. Only five people on the flight survived. Minutes later, they were shooting video footage of the crash scene, showing wreckage and survivors in the water, along with the arrival of first responders. The plane took off and struggled to maintain altitude. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the relatively inexperienced pilots made critical mistakes before and during their 4 p.m. takeoff from National Airport: They underestimated the danger of ice on the plane's wings. Initially, there was a sixth survivor that day46 year old Arland D. Williams Jr. Williams was trapped in his seat in the partially submerged rear section of the plane by a jammed seat belt. Though the helicopters lifeline came to him several times, he passed it to other survivors. [4]:29,47 The correct engine power setting for the temperature and airport altitude of Washington National at the time was 2.04 EPR, but analysis of the engine noise recorded on the cockpit voice recorder indicated that the actual power output corresponded with an engine pressure ratio of only 1.70. [4]:82, The "sixth passenger", who had survived the crash and had repeatedly given up the rescue lines to other survivors before drowning, was later identified as 46-year-old bank examiner Arland D. Williams, Jr. The National Law Enforcement Museum, which opened in Washington, DC, in 2018, has footage of the crash on display along with interviews of survivors and other first-hand accounts. An unidentified passenger from an Air Florida jetliner that crashed into the Potomac River holds on to a safety ring during a rescue attempt in Washington, Jan. 13, 1982. [4]:59 Boeing operations bulletins had warned against using reverse thrust in those kinds of conditions. Then, the lifeline saved a woman who was trying to swim away from the sinking wreckage, and the helicopter pilot, Donald W. Usher, returned to the scene, but the man was gone. The alarm would blare incessantly at 5 am, and I would reach over in a blind haze to hit snooze just to get a couple of precious seconds of extra sleep. On its third trip back to the wreckage, the helicopter lowered two lifelines, fearing that the remaining survivors had only a few minutes before succumbing to hypothermia. This morning, she was listed as out of danger. She visited friends in Tampa and drank peach schnapps at a bar in Seminole before being arrested. Kelly Moore became a devout Christian. At least the next time I commute into the city I can reflect on his bravery instead of impending disaster. Air Florida Flight 90 Survivors: Joe Stiley, Nikki Felch, Kelly Duncan, Priscilla Tirado, and Bert Hamilton In all, there were five survivors: Joe Stiley, his coworker Nikki Felch, flight attendant Kelly Duncan, Priscilla Tirado, and Bert Hamilton. He had logged 1,752 hours on the Boeing 737, the accident aircraft type, 1,100 of those hours as captain. Williams again caught one of the lines, and again passed it on, this time to Joe Stiley, the most severely injured survivor. 2023 Getty Images. Her most vivid memories of the crash and aftermath are of panic, and then of praying for the first time in her life. It began to descend after reaching between 200 and 300 feet. 16:00:41 TWR Palm 90 contact departure control. Though I wish there was more recognition of the bridges true name, Im grateful I know it now. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. A lot of people were going to lose their jobs, Stiley said. The helicopter crew who rescued five people, the only persons who survived from the jetliner, lifted a woman to the riverbank, then dragged three more persons across the ice to safety. Arland D. Williams, Jr. also received the award posthumously. It was being deiced with a film crew outside filming us. . She became a "volunteer hugger . One of my favorite parts of the metro ride is crossing the bridge into the city. A vibrating elevator can unnerve Bert Hamilton. [27], Disagreement arose over whether the Air Florida crash was a significant factor in the company's failure. On the afternoon of January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 was scheduled to fly from Washington D.C. to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a stop in Tampa. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. A watching bystander, Congressional Budget Office assistant Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots, and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water and swam out to successfully pull her to shore. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash included the flight crew's failure to enforce a sterile cockpit during the final preflight checklist procedure. One bystander, Lenny Skutnik, was able to rescue Priscilla Tirado from the icy waters after the rescue helicopters failed attempt to tow her to shore.