Plane Crash Mystery (CP 35) Demystified
Night/Day Rogaine, 29th Sep 2012
Parissa Poulis, posted on 8th Nov 2012
Scene: Wednesday 12th July 1995 late morning cold, overcast drizzly weather the Darwin-Poulis family (Jeff, Parissa, Jason (11) and Tristan(9) were working at the farm near the lake shore when they heard the engine of a light plane (spluttering - and obviously in trouble) and got a short glimpse of the plane through the cloud then the plane disappeared into the cloud again and we heard tinkle, tinkle tinkle and then crash. The phone (landline had just been connected the week before). We took a note of the time rang 000..... All three passengers, father, son and flying instructor survived the crash. Son only had burns on his hands.
To cut a long story short,
or for more details read on
We took the landcruiser troup carrier (the troopy) (set up for sleeping in the back) and Jason came on his mini bike and went searching for survivors. As the certificates of appreciation awarded the following year, individually to Jeff, Jason and Parissa (Tristan missed out) by the NSW Police service state: "Dr Poulis and Mr Jeffrey Darwin in inclement weather searched for and located the injured and disoriented survivors" in paddock adjoining CP24 (father) who led us to hut (CP24) where the second survivor lay (insdtructor 80% burns) ...."administered basic first aid and "Jeff and Tristan transported the two injured to "Dinton" "to meet rescue workers saving valuable time". "Jason rode his motorbike along a muddy track, in inclement weather, met with rescue workers guiding them to the survivors. I commend Jason Darwin for ......and maturity...his efforts were invaluable in reducing initial response times."
Parissa ran back to the hut (nearly 2km away) to alert police as to what was happening etc etc and request a helicopter for transportation of the injured to a suitable burns unit (in Sydney). Close to the farm hut she found the third survivor (son) took care of him .... guided army helicopter to this location and army medic was able to look after the third survivor until the ambulance came (a couple of hours later). Parissa got into the army helicopter and was transported to "Dinton" where Jeff, Jason and Tristan remained till late in the afternoon and where all the action was - helicopter, police vehicles, SES, Fire engines and lots of media/ TV crews, newspaper and radio reporters.
The army helicopter landed in a paddock and Parissa was not allowed out of the helicopter (neither was the pilot and co-pilot)...waited there for a long time and was later asked if she could locate the plane crash. She said she would try, so this time with a helmet and microphone she could communicate with the pilot. The helicopter took off again... Parissa saw the sun reflecting off the metal and alerted the pilot...she also noted the track just below the wreck. She was flown back to the farm hut and was allowed to alight. Parissa was given a lift in the ambulance (on its way back to Canberra with the third survivor) to the original HH location and met up with Jeff and the boys in the late afternoon and followed the track up and inspected the wreck that had just been cordoned off. The police officer in charge of the operation also came to meet Parissa in person.
It was a memorable event for the Darwin-Poulis family.