Passenger Jet Takes Detour, Finds Missing Boat

Air Canada pilot flew low so passengers could look out window
By Liam Carnahan,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 18, 2012 12:50 PM CDT
Updated Oct 21, 2012 12:34 PM CDT
Passenger Jet Takes Detour, Finds Missing Boat
An Air Canada passenger plane took a detour to help find a missing yacht.   (shutterstock)

We're willing to bet this is a first: Passengers on an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Sydney were asked to participate in a search for a yacht that had been lost at sea for 16 hours, reports the Consumerist. The captain received a call for help and flew to the rescue, lowering the Boeing 777 from 38,000 feet to around 5,000 feet. He used the PA system to ask passengers to keep an eye out and report anything they saw.

What's amazing is that it worked. A first officer spotted the yacht, and the pilot dipped again to 3,800 feet, which helped the crew identify a man who had been stranded on the boat. It added about 40 minutes to the journey, but the captain says it was well worth it. The yachtsman was rescued and is doing fine, reports the Australian. (More airplane stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X