Video Released To The Media

One of the survivors of an accident December 11th in which a Cessna Grand Caravan went down in the water off the coast of Hawaii has release video of the accident he captured on a GoPro camera from inside the plane.

Ferdinand Puentes had the camera in his hands as the Makani Kai Air flight took off, lost engine power, and was ditched in the Pacific Ocean. He told Hawaii News Now that "the engine made a noise and all the bells and whistles started. I just turned in back on. I had to make sure it was on."

The video shows water staring to pour into the cabin of the Grand Caravan as the people get out of the airplane. Still images captured by Puentes show passengers and the pilot, who had blood on his face from a cut to the head, holding on the wing, and then the plane starting to sink.

Puentes lives in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. He had been on a job at St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, and was flying back to Oahu in his work clothes, including steel-toed boots. He is reportedly an avid spearfisherman, and attempted to swim to shore in his PFD, but was overcome by exhaustion about 50 yards from shore.

The accident resulted in the fatal injury of Hawaii's state health director Loretta Fuddy. The remaining passengers and the pilot all survived.

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov