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‘Please... need rescue… SOS!’

When Beatrice De Smet got a desperate SMS from her husband, she knew she had to act fast.

In May 2019, British pilot Sam Rutherford took off from an airport in Canada with his co-pilot Alan Simpson. Alan was a pioneering farmer, businessman and grandfather who was also passionate about aviation and had bought a small plane. However, part-way through the flight the plane crashed into the side of a snow-covered mountain. Realising that Alan was badly injured, Sam knew they needed help and fast, so he sent a desperate SMS text message to his wife Beatrice De Smet who was in Europe. What ensued was an extraordinary rescue, involving nine people on snow mobiles.

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Katy Davis

Image: Winand Deerenberg/Getty Images

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21 minutes

Podcast