An 11 year old girl Is the only survivor The plane crash on Saturday and her father’s actions may help save her life.
In a statement, The little girl’s mother, Christina Perdue, said she believed that her late husband Mike Perdue wrapped herself around her daughter in the crash and ultimately helped save her life . Perdue said this was her daughter’s last memory before the impact.
“We are heartbroken for losing my husband, father, brother, son and friends,” Perdue said. “He gave the best bear hug, and I believe he caught our daughter and protected her. This is her last memory before the crash.”
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The twin-engine commuter plane crashed on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan at the end of the flight from Charlevoix to the island.
In addition to Perdue, real estate agents Kate Leese and Adam Kendall also Died in a car accident. Leese and Kendall are newbies to the Beaver Island community and reportedly plan to build a vineyard there. The pilots who crashed also died, but their names have not yet been released to the public.
“The news quickly spread throughout the wine industry,” said Alaina Dodds, co-owner of the Traverse Lake District Wine Company in Michigan. Tell Detroit News. “Everyone is heartbroken. Kate is just one of those people you won’t forget. Kate and Adam are just two strong guys. They are inspiring. They are just starting to do what they want. It’s tragic.”
Last spring, the couple planted 600 vines on a piece of land on Beaver Island because they plan to open a company called Antho Vineyards in the near future.
“Geographically they are very close to us,” Petoskey winemaker Matt Killman said. “They are doing something similar but different. I think everyone in the industry they have communicated with supports them.”
Kilman added: “We want them to succeed. Planting such grapes on an island in Michigan essentially embodies the cutting-edge spirit of Michigan viticulture. It’s almost frontier life…it will definitely be. A huge loss.”
Emergency rescuers announced that Mike Perdue was dead at the scene. His daughter was airlifted from the scene to McLaren North Michigan Hospital near Petoskey and received “chest compressions” from the helicopter crew during the flight.
According to reports, she was initially seriously injured. Now, her mother says that she is in stable condition and has been transferred to a children’s hospital in Grand Rapids.
Weekly newspaper Contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
