Witness to tragedy

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I read several letters and articles about the plane crash. I will tell you that it was a moment when time almost seemed to stand still. It was a beautiful Sunday. The time was 5:30 p.m. There were still people on the beach enjoying the last few minutes of a great August weekend. All of a sudden, I heard two or three loud popping noises. I looked up and there was a plane falling from the sky not far from where I was. At first I could not believe it. Planes do not just fall from the sky. Within a few seconds I screamed for Norma to call 911 and I went running to the site. Within about 90 seconds of the crash occurring, two Sea Level Drive residents went out on their kayaks to see if there were any survivors. They came back within a couple of minutes and reported what they saw. That is when the horror of the moment became so very clear. Into the night there was a surreal atmosphere in the neighborhood. The emergency responders worked under circumstances that no one could have been truly ready for. They worked hard, I suspect, ignoring their emotions, while they were doing their job. All of us should be thankful and proud of their work. I, for one, want to thank all of the people on the scene who helped from the bottom of my heart.

Andy Stern

Mayor Pro Tem