Ordeal In The Arctic
Encyclopedia
Ordeal in the Arctic is a made-for-television movie, written by Paul F. Edwards and directed by Mark Sobel.
The film is an adaptation of Robert Mason Lee's non-fiction book Death and Deliverance which is based on the 1991 plane crash of a Canadian Forces
CC-130 Hercules (a part of Operation Boxtop 22) en route to CFS Alert
on Ellesmere Island
with 18 crew and passengers on board.
While heading to Alert in the far north on October 30, 1991, pilot Captain John Couch misjudged his altitude and crashed just a few miles from the base. Master Corporal
Roland Pitre, the loadmaster, was the first to die while three others would also not survive the impact: Warrant Officer Robert Grimsley, Master Warrant Officer Tom Jardine, and Captain Judy Trépanier. Of the remaining survivors, Susan Hillier and Master Corporal David Meace could not be moved to the tail end of the plane with the others due to possible spinal injuries. During the 32-hour ordeal, Couch made multiple trips to check on Sue and Dave, while Wilma De Groot kept the others calm. Unfortunately, Couch would die in the cold weather.
Although they were able to see the base prior to the crash, blizzard-like conditions prevented anyone from going for help. Once search and rescue crews were sent to look for the plane, survivors were able to communicate with Boxtop 21 searching by air using a two-way radio. As the weather calmed, Search And Rescue
(SAR) Technicians were able to parachute down to the site while those searching by ground arrived soon after.
The film is an adaptation of Robert Mason Lee's non-fiction book Death and Deliverance which is based on the 1991 plane crash of a Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
CC-130 Hercules (a part of Operation Boxtop 22) en route to CFS Alert
CFS Alert
Canadian Forces Station Alert, also CFS Alert, is a Canadian Forces signals intelligence intercept facility located in Alert, Nunavut on the northeastern tip of Ellesmere Island, at ....
on Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
with 18 crew and passengers on board.
While heading to Alert in the far north on October 30, 1991, pilot Captain John Couch misjudged his altitude and crashed just a few miles from the base. Master Corporal
Master Corporal
Master Corporal , in the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Army Cadets is an appointment of the rank of Corporal in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Airforce...
Roland Pitre, the loadmaster, was the first to die while three others would also not survive the impact: Warrant Officer Robert Grimsley, Master Warrant Officer Tom Jardine, and Captain Judy Trépanier. Of the remaining survivors, Susan Hillier and Master Corporal David Meace could not be moved to the tail end of the plane with the others due to possible spinal injuries. During the 32-hour ordeal, Couch made multiple trips to check on Sue and Dave, while Wilma De Groot kept the others calm. Unfortunately, Couch would die in the cold weather.
Although they were able to see the base prior to the crash, blizzard-like conditions prevented anyone from going for help. Once search and rescue crews were sent to look for the plane, survivors were able to communicate with Boxtop 21 searching by air using a two-way radio. As the weather calmed, Search And Rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) Technicians were able to parachute down to the site while those searching by ground arrived soon after.