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CNN Live Today
Interview With Wade Strahan
Aired December 08, 2003 - 10:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we have a story of a man who survived the element and the odds. This one started on Friday when Wade Strahan crashed his plane into a frigid lake in Alaska. That started an odyssey that has a happy ending thanks to some remarkable resilience and more than a little bit of luck. Wade Strahan joins us by phone with the rescue in his own words.
Wade, good morning.
WADE STRAHAN, RESCUED PILOT: Good morning.
KAGAN: Take us back to Friday when you're trying to take off in Alaska.
STRAHAN: Well, I was attempting to depart on a remote runway which had unexpectedly poor snow conditions. And I was unable to attain flying speed and ended up in the lake.
KAGAN: Now we should say you're a bush pilot with many years of experience, right? So this is what you do?
STRAHAN: Well, you would wonder.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: This is what you're supposed to do. I mean you've been doing this for a lot of years. You're not some risk taker, some amateur pilot. This is your job, this is your life, right?
STRAHAN: Well, no, actually I'm a fire fighter.
KAGAN: You're a fire fighter. Oh, OK. But you have been flying for a lot of years up there?
STRAHAN: Yes.
KAGAN: OK. So the plane doesn't -- instead of ending up in the sky it end up in the lake?
STRAHAN: In the lake. I swam to shore, which was a job in itself. Once I reached the shore I realized that I hadn't filed a flight plan
KAGAN: That was a mistake.
STRAHAN: That was a mistake. There was no airplane to help the searchers looking. KAGAN: And explain to us just how cold it was there.
STRAHAN: Well, when I landed it was about 10 degrees. And I think during the night it probably cooled down a little bit.
KAGAN: And where -- you went into a cabin, an unheated cabin?
STRAHAN: Yes, I made my way over to a cab which -- I was familiar with the area. There was no heat but it broke the wind. And I set about maintaining a high level of physical activity to hopefully dry out my clothes.
KAGAN: And how did you finally get help?
STRAHAN: I walked out the next morning. I waited until about 10:00 and no one had shown up and I knew I couldn't -- I didn't think I would get by with another night out there and I felt confident I could walk the ten miles out to the end of the lake where there was some cabins. And I had walked probably, oh, six or eight of those miles before I encountered a skier who went and got help.
KAGAN: I think we're looking at pictures right now of a helicopter. So they were able to chopper in and then get to you a hospital?
STRAHAN: Yes. The helicopter, that was one of the search helicopters and he landed and transported me into the hospital.
KAGAN: At a certain point, I understand, your feet were like frozen blocks of ice and you still managed to hike about six miles.
STRAHAN: Yes. Well, they were frozen but they carried me.
KAGAN: Yes, it worked. And through all this, what kind of injuries are you dealing with this morning?
STRAHAN: You know, I have some minor swelling in my toes and fingertips and that's it.
KAGAN: Amazing. Two quick questions for you. Was there an angry wife on the other end?
STRAHAN: Not when I called her.
KAGAN: Once you called home everything was OK, Wade. And are you going to fly again?
STRAHAN: Oh, yes. I anticipate it will probably be a while. I need to recover the plane and rebuild it.
KAGAN: And next time with a flight plan.
STRAHAN: Certainly.
KAGAN: All right. You might also want to think about buying a Lottery ticket, you're a lucky man. Thank you so much. Good luck with the recovery and don't forget to phone home.
Wade Strahan, thank you so much. Good luck wit the recovery.
STRAHAN: OK, thank you.
KAGAN: And don't forget to phone home. Appreciate it. Joining us from Alaska on the phone.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 8, 2003 - 10:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we have a story of a man who survived the element and the odds. This one started on Friday when Wade Strahan crashed his plane into a frigid lake in Alaska. That started an odyssey that has a happy ending thanks to some remarkable resilience and more than a little bit of luck. Wade Strahan joins us by phone with the rescue in his own words.
Wade, good morning.
WADE STRAHAN, RESCUED PILOT: Good morning.
KAGAN: Take us back to Friday when you're trying to take off in Alaska.
STRAHAN: Well, I was attempting to depart on a remote runway which had unexpectedly poor snow conditions. And I was unable to attain flying speed and ended up in the lake.
KAGAN: Now we should say you're a bush pilot with many years of experience, right? So this is what you do?
STRAHAN: Well, you would wonder.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: This is what you're supposed to do. I mean you've been doing this for a lot of years. You're not some risk taker, some amateur pilot. This is your job, this is your life, right?
STRAHAN: Well, no, actually I'm a fire fighter.
KAGAN: You're a fire fighter. Oh, OK. But you have been flying for a lot of years up there?
STRAHAN: Yes.
KAGAN: OK. So the plane doesn't -- instead of ending up in the sky it end up in the lake?
STRAHAN: In the lake. I swam to shore, which was a job in itself. Once I reached the shore I realized that I hadn't filed a flight plan
KAGAN: That was a mistake.
STRAHAN: That was a mistake. There was no airplane to help the searchers looking. KAGAN: And explain to us just how cold it was there.
STRAHAN: Well, when I landed it was about 10 degrees. And I think during the night it probably cooled down a little bit.
KAGAN: And where -- you went into a cabin, an unheated cabin?
STRAHAN: Yes, I made my way over to a cab which -- I was familiar with the area. There was no heat but it broke the wind. And I set about maintaining a high level of physical activity to hopefully dry out my clothes.
KAGAN: And how did you finally get help?
STRAHAN: I walked out the next morning. I waited until about 10:00 and no one had shown up and I knew I couldn't -- I didn't think I would get by with another night out there and I felt confident I could walk the ten miles out to the end of the lake where there was some cabins. And I had walked probably, oh, six or eight of those miles before I encountered a skier who went and got help.
KAGAN: I think we're looking at pictures right now of a helicopter. So they were able to chopper in and then get to you a hospital?
STRAHAN: Yes. The helicopter, that was one of the search helicopters and he landed and transported me into the hospital.
KAGAN: At a certain point, I understand, your feet were like frozen blocks of ice and you still managed to hike about six miles.
STRAHAN: Yes. Well, they were frozen but they carried me.
KAGAN: Yes, it worked. And through all this, what kind of injuries are you dealing with this morning?
STRAHAN: You know, I have some minor swelling in my toes and fingertips and that's it.
KAGAN: Amazing. Two quick questions for you. Was there an angry wife on the other end?
STRAHAN: Not when I called her.
KAGAN: Once you called home everything was OK, Wade. And are you going to fly again?
STRAHAN: Oh, yes. I anticipate it will probably be a while. I need to recover the plane and rebuild it.
KAGAN: And next time with a flight plan.
STRAHAN: Certainly.
KAGAN: All right. You might also want to think about buying a Lottery ticket, you're a lucky man. Thank you so much. Good luck with the recovery and don't forget to phone home.
Wade Strahan, thank you so much. Good luck wit the recovery.
STRAHAN: OK, thank you.
KAGAN: And don't forget to phone home. Appreciate it. Joining us from Alaska on the phone.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
