Airplane Crash At Daybreak Airstrip Leads To Complex Riverbank Rescue; Two Patients Transported To Local Hospitals (Photo)
- 08/10/26
Minutes before 1:00 p.m., CRESA received a 911 call reporting an aircraft accident in the Daybreak area. The caller indicated that a small airplane had crashed with two occupants on board, both conscious and breathing. Clark‑Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR), AMR, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were immediately dispatched.
Initial information suggested the aircraft was located at the north end of the Daybreak airstrip near the river. Responding crews approached from multiple directions and began searching the area. With no flames or smoke visible, a drone was requested to assist in locating the aircraft, and crews prepared for the possibility that a raft might be needed for access.
Further questioning by the CRESA call taker clarified that the aircraft was actually at the south end of the airstrip, surrounded by trees with limited visibility of nearby roads. CCFR captains located the plane overturned, a detail confirmed by the caller. Due to the likelihood of a prolonged extrication, Life Flight was placed on standby.
Access to the crash site proved challenging. Crews had to carry EMS and rescue equipment on foot across uneven terrain and a shallow portion of the river. One occupant had self‑extricated and was found sitting on the wing with injuries. The second occupant remained trapped inside the aircraft. Homeowners in the area assisted responders by helping transport equipment while crews worked to establish a safe route across the river.
Rescue personnel cut and peeled back portions of the aircraft’s structure to reach the trapped patient. Once freed, the patient was secured to a backboard and transported across the river using a raft to reach awaiting medical units. One patient was transported by ground ambulance, and the other was airlifted by Life Flight to local hospitals.
At this time, no further information is available regarding the patients’ conditions.
Airplane Crash At Daybreak Airstrip Leads To Complex Riverbank Rescue; Two Patients Transported To Local Hospitals (Photo)
- 08/10/26
Minutes before 1:00 p.m., CRESA received a 911 call reporting an aircraft accident in the Daybreak area. The caller indicated that a small airplane had crashed with two occupants on board, both conscious and breathing. Clark‑Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR), AMR, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were immediately dispatched.
Initial information suggested the aircraft was located at the north end of the Daybreak airstrip near the river. Responding crews approached from multiple directions and began searching the area. With no flames or smoke visible, a drone was requested to assist in locating the aircraft, and crews prepared for the possibility that a raft might be needed for access.
Further questioning by the CRESA call taker clarified that the aircraft was actually at the south end of the airstrip, surrounded by trees with limited visibility of nearby roads. CCFR captains located the plane overturned, a detail confirmed by the caller. Due to the likelihood of a prolonged extrication, Life Flight was placed on standby.
Access to the crash site proved challenging. Crews had to carry EMS and rescue equipment on foot across uneven terrain and a shallow portion of the river. One occupant had self‑extricated and was found sitting on the wing with injuries. The second occupant remained trapped inside the aircraft. Homeowners in the area assisted responders by helping transport equipment while crews worked to establish a safe route across the river.
Rescue personnel cut and peeled back portions of the aircraft’s structure to reach the trapped patient. Once freed, the patient was secured to a backboard and transported across the river using a raft to reach awaiting medical units. One patient was transported by ground ambulance, and the other was airlifted by Life Flight to local hospitals.
At this time, no further information is available regarding the patients’ conditions.
