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The Forest Service notified the families of the victims that the crash
site had been located and there appeared to be no survivors.
The Sheriff, Undersheriff and an Evidence Technician returned to the
crash site by helicopter the next morning and began excavating remains
from the fuselage. Partial remains from two bodies were recovered.
Further excavation of the crash site continued.
At 2:05 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office received a
report of two individuals (later identified as Matthew Ramige and Jodee
Hogg) in bad condition near Highway 2 a short distance from Essex. The
two people were flown to Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) by the
ALERT helicopter.The remains of Bryant and Long were removed from the
crash site by helicopter and transported by ground to Missoula for
autopsy by the State Medical Examiner.
I spoke briefly with Ramige when he was brought into the emergency room
at KRMC. He told me that “the others are dead.” He had survived the
initial crash along with Jodee Hogg and Ken Good. They spent the night
at the crash site and Good died at 8 o’clock Tuesday morning. Ramige had
second and third degree burns to his face, hands, chest and thighs and
had a fractured spine. Ramige was subsequently flown to Harborview
Medical Center in Washington. Jodee Hogg arrived at KRMC a short time
later. She had minor burns and soft tissue damage to her back and ankle.
Sheriff Dupont, Undersheriff Curry, Cathy Barbouletos (Flathead National
Forest Supervisor), other Forest Service personnel and I met with the
families of the deceased at a nearby hotel conference room. Dupont,
Curry and Barbouletos they were honest, compassionate and forthcoming.
All available information was shared with the families, including photos
taken at the crash site for those who wished to look at them. This was
an emotionally difficult meeting.
On Thursday, September 23, 2004, Jodee Hogg was able to tell us the rest
of the story.
Hogg told us that there was no indication prior to the crash that they
were in trouble. She said she looked out the window and saw the ground
way too close. She tensed up and the plane crashed. She felt pain and
intense heat as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the plane.
She looked back and saw that Ramige had undone his seat belt but could
not get out because his foot was stuck. Braving flames 15 feet tall,
Hogg went back into the plane and pulled him free.
Davita Bryant had been sitting directly behind Hogg and Ramige. Bryant
was still in her seat. There was blood on her face and she was not
responsive. Hogg tried to pull Bryant from the burning aircraft but was
not able to do so.
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