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- [00:01]
Narrator (Progressive Insurance Ad)
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- [00:57]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
It's just after 6.30pm on Monday 19th May 2025. A pale, milky sky above western Canada is streaked with clouds, broken occasionally by slanted shafts of sunlight. In British Columbia, nestled between Vancouver island and the rugged coast of the mainland, a handful of smaller, sparsely inhabited land masses lie scattered like discarded jigsaw pieces across the cold, gray sea. The air is crisp and cool, the glassy surface of the water flat and undisturbed. Then a sound breaks the quiet, the low drone of an engine. Soaring over this pretty patchwork of land and water is a small red and white seaplane, moving with surprising grace despite its bulky landing, floats inside. Desiree and Marco Krutoff, a Dutch couple in their 50s, drink in the beautiful scenery sprawling out below them as their pilot indicates various points of interest. In the seat beside the pilot, Desiree's right hand fidgets in her lap whilst the fingertips of her left hand dig nervously into the back of the pilot's seat. She's trying to relax and enjoy the trip, but a ripple of unease is
- [02:15]
Desiree Krutoff
running through her I was scared. I put my arm around the chair of the pilot and I know that I was telling myself, don't squeeze too much.
- [02:31]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
About 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot gestures towards the first landing point on their journey, a small bay known as Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island. Shortly afterwards, he begins their descent. In the back of the cabin, Marco is filming the entire experience on his phone, keen to record this memorable trip. As it turns out, it's about to become very memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
- [02:59]
Marco Krutoff
Down, down. We touched the water and the first touch was very hot. What I thought is Come on, pilot, you can do better. That's a little bit clumsy of you.
- [03:12]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The aircraft lurches as the floats strike the water with a fierce smack. The impact reverberating through the small cabin. At the same moment, a gust of wind seems to come from nowhere, yanking the plane back up and disrupting its delicate equilibrium. Knuckles white, the pilot tries to restabilize the craft, his face grim with concentration. The engine whines as he applies full power, trying to guide the plane into the air again so he can circle back and attempt another landing. But even as he wrestles with the controls, the floats slap against the water once more and the aircraft bounces, making everyone's stomach somersault. With increasing desperation, the pilot tries to regain command of the small seaplane. But it's no use. Seconds later, the aircraft collides with the water for a third and final time. Suddenly til its left wing cleaves the smooth surface of the sea. There is no coming back from it.
- [04:14]
Desiree Krutoff
I saw the wing hitting the water and at that moment the pilot yelled something and then we were flipping over and I was telling to myself, this can't be real.
- [04:33]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to Real Survival Stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Marco and desiree Krutoff. In May 2025, the hard working Dutch couple book an extended holiday to Canada. They hope to reconnect with each other and to take some time to decide what the next phase of their lives should look like now that their children have left home. But all plans are thrown out of the window when just days into their holiday, the seaplane they've booked for a sightseeing trip crashes into the icy waters off the coast of British Columbia.
- [05:21]
Marco Krutoff
When he touched the water again, I thought, stop the plane, this is not so good. And then I heard that he screamed and I didn't know what he said, but I heard a scream and then he flipped over.
- [05:36]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Trapped inside the flooded cabin of the small plane, Desiree and Marco must work together to escape these swiftly sinking wreckage before they run out of air or are overcome by the freezing temperature of the water. The strength of their union will be pushed to the limit as they desperately try to make it out alive.
- [05:54]
Desiree Krutoff
When you are in the water, you have to keep moving because otherwise you are being soon very cold and yeah, then you will drown. You can stay four or five minutes in the water. Not longer because the water was also 4 or 5 degrees.
- [06:09]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The rapid countdown to escape is on, and even if they can free themselves, another totally unforeseeable challenge lies ahead. A final sting in the tail awaits. I'm John Hopkins from the Noiser Podcast Network. This is Real Survival Stories. It's the morning of Monday 19th May, 2025 on the Eastern shores of Vancouver Island, Canada. In a large car park near the coastal city of Campbell River, a couple in their 50s exit an RV camper van. They make their way towards a small, unassuming building overlooking the water. The woman's blonde shoulder length hair flies around her face as she walks, ruffled by a salty sea breeze. Her movements are tinged with apprehension, but her husband has a noticeable spring in his step. He looks up towards the arcing sky above them, where the occasional small plane cuts a trail through the clouds. Sensing his wife's unease as they near the building, he takes her hand and reassures her quietly in Dutch this is Marco and Desiree Krutoff on their way to the ticket office of a seaplane tour operator. Today they have booked a unique sightseeing trip on board one of the planes that delivers post to these sparsely populated Discovery Islands sandwiched between Vancouver island and the mainland. The journey will offer wonderful views of the Canadian landscape and will also give the tourists the chance to explore some of these tiny, remote communities. But as soon as they step inside the ticket office, it becomes clear there's a problem. The staff greet them with startled, confused faces and when Marco and Desiree look around they see five other people sitting in the waiting room. The plane can only carry six passengers,
- [08:30]
Desiree Krutoff
so they talked with each other behind the desk and well, there was a mistake. One of the employees did gave us the confirmation number but never put it in the agenda. So we were overbooked. They told us, well, one of you can go, and Marco told me, well you can go. And I said immediately, I'm not going without you. We are going together or we are not going at all.
- [08:56]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Seeing Desiree and Marco's reluctance to be separated, staff offered to book them on another flight the following day. But the couple have a very strict holiday schedule and they don't want to change their plans. Eventually they are offered a private flight later that evening in recompense for their mistake. Marco and Desiree look at each other. This is only the third day of their month long road trip through Canada. It's not exactly an auspicious start.
- [09:25]
Marco Krutoff
There was two struggles because she had all the Time and bad feeling about this trip. And honestly, I had a very good feeling about this trip and I would like to go. This was one of the highlights. So there was a little bit fraction between each other about she would like to skip the plane trip. And for me it was a must go, a must do. And the second struggle was, of course they changed the plan. We go in the late afternoon, around 6 o'. Clock. Can we manage that in our schedule?
- [10:02]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
After working out that they can indeed squeeze the later trip into their timetable, Marco turns his attention to the other stumbling block. He tries to assuage his wife's uneasiness, reminding her what an amazing experience it will be. Despite her concerns, Marco's enthusiasm is infectious and his arguments persuasive. For the couple, this isn't an unusual interaction. They've been together for nearly 40 years now and the dynamic hasn't changed much during that time.
- [10:33]
Marco Krutoff
Love on first sight. We are really different. She's more quiet, she's the observer, she's more the stability and I'm more the pusher. I always want to achieve more. Come on, you can do it, you can do more. And that's all our Life.
- [10:52]
Desiree Krutoff
I was 15 and Marco was 17. We went to a bar and there we met each other. We had the same friends, so we had a drink with each other and well, I think it took a week and then we were a couple. And we still are.
- [11:08]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Though they are very different in many ways. Desiree and Marco exemplify the idea that opposites attract.
- [11:15]
Desiree Krutoff
He's very warm, he's very kind. He's also very clear. So when he thinks something, he tells you if you like it or not. But he always means the best.
- [11:28]
Marco Krutoff
She is a really observer and she always place herself in the shadow and I would like that she stand up and get more sunshine from her surrounding. She really has an ear for everyone and she can chat and have a good conversation with everyone. But she forgot herself also to talk about herself.
- [12:01]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
After getting married young, the couple went on to have a daughter, Diona, and a son, Robin. With a family of their own to care for, they focused on work and raising their children. In time, Desiree started her own counseling business and Marco rose to become a project director for a grid operator. The days were long, but the years passed quickly. And together, Marco and Desiree built a good life.
- [12:25]
Desiree Krutoff
We were working and raising our children like most people do, and we had a very happy life with the children. And the years were passing and the children were growing up until we were at the point where we are now that the children are starting their own lives and the two of us being together again. And so we have to make a few decisions about the future.
- [12:53]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Once their children flew the nest, Marco and Desiree started discussing what the next decade or two might look like. It was a big conversation, one that wasn't always easy to have amid the hubbub of day to day life. Maybe what they needed was a holiday, an opportunity for the space and time to really reconnect and talk about their future together.
- [13:14]
Marco Krutoff
We both struggled the last few years about how it's going to look like in the next 50 years. So the holiday Canada was really for the great nature, but also for the good conversation, to look forward for the coming 50 years to have a hike with each other, but also the conversation about what do you want, what do I want, how do we transform that, etc.
- [13:49]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Having both nursed a long held desire to visit Canada, the couple decide to hire an RV and spend a month or so driving around the country. Marco, the planner, arranged everything, including booking tickets for a unique seaplane trip around the Discovery Islands. After landing in Canada, the adventure began in earnest. They wasted no time in getting out on the road. And now, having arrived at the seaplane operator's offices, the couple are ready for their appointed flight. But it's here that Desiree's enthusiasm starts to wane as the reality of what they've signed up for sinks in.
- [14:27]
Marco Krutoff
We saw that of the float planes and then she said, no, is it really what you want? That's scary. And we saw them flying. Of course, in Vancouver you see them everywhere. But that was the point that she starts to share her bad feeling. And I was thinking, oh, come on, we must do this. This is so amazing. Go to five islands to see communities, to bring the post, to be in contact with all the people, to see the bears, the whales, et cetera.
- [15:01]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree eyes the seaplanes warily, but ultimately, Marco's line of reasoning prevails. Isn't this what they came to Canada for, after all? To see the country in all its spectacular glory? It would be a shame to back out now. And so the couple agree to the proposed change of schedule. With several hours to kill until takeoff, they watch the other seaplanes come and go and get chatting to one of the pilots. The conversation gives Desiree the chance to ask some questions about safety that have been bothering her. However, the answers aren't all that reassuring. The pilot explains that accidents are of course, rare, but if these types of planes do crash, they tend to flip over leaving passengers very little time to extricate themselves from the wreckage.
- [15:54]
Desiree Krutoff
He told us about how long you can survive in the water and when you are in the water that you have to keep moving because otherwise you are being very soon, very cold. And, yeah, then you will drown. So he told us you can stay four or five minutes in the water, not longer, because the water was also 4 or 5 degrees. It did make me nervous. Of course it did.
- [16:20]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Finally, around 6:30pm it's time. Wrapped in lightweight wind jackets, Marco and Desiree head out across the jetty to the small plane bobbing on the water like a large, flightless bird. Before boarding, they are handed life vests. By the time Desiree has secured her life jacket, her husband is already ensconced in the back of the plane, determined that his wife should take the seat up front next to the pilot.
- [16:48]
Marco Krutoff
She was a little bit afraid, and I directly thought, come on, you must sit in the front. There you have a better position, better overview, maybe a little bit less flight sickness, but also be more comfortable. But she always want to go in the rear. So when we walk to the airplane, I was faster and sit in the back. Now you sit in the front.
- [17:15]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Her heart fluttering, Desiree climbs up the metal rungs of the plane. Her breath catches as the lightweight aircraft bobs and sways with the movement inside the cabin. She takes her seat to the right of the pilot, and he adjusts her chair to give her more room, sliding it back as far as it will go. Then he begins preparations for takeoff. However, before they are airborne, Desiree has one final question for him.
- [17:44]
Desiree Krutoff
He didn't tell me how I could open the door. And there I was very nervous about, because in the morning they were telling everything how you can survive in the water, but if you can't open the door, you don't get out of the plane. So I asked the pilot, how do I open the door if we have a crash? Well, he left a little bit and he said, well, okay, there's the handle and you have to pull the handle. And I know that I wanted to ask, do I have to pull the handle to the left or to the right? And then I said to myself, get a hold of yourself.
- [18:20]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Palms sweating, Desiree takes a deep breath as the plane judders into life and taxis along the smooth surface of the water. Her shoulders tense as the aircraft picks up speed, the roar of the engine magnified inside the cramped cabin. And then they become weightless as the plane rises into the air and the water falls away below them. In the back, Marco presses his phone to the glass of the window, filming the spectacular view, keen to capture the memory of this amazing trip with the his wife. They soar over a stunning tapestry of forest and rock interspersed with gray blue channels of water that thread between the verdant islands like veins. As they fly, the pilot gives them a running commentary about the islands below, his words crackling through the radio system. Despite her unease, Desiree can't help but be entranced by the beautiful scenery spreading out beneath them. As the minutes pass, some of the tension starts to melt from her body.
- [19:24]
Desiree Krutoff
It was so beautiful. It really was. It was so beautiful. The pilot was telling everything about the people that were living on the islands and really it was amazing. And then he flew us into a little bay and then he told, well, this is the first place that we are going to land.
- [19:41]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The pilot points down at a small horseshoe shaped bay called Refuge Cove and explains that he is going to fly over it before circling back to land. Desiree and Marco stare down at the glassy surface of the water as the plane tilts and turns. Then the pilot begins the descent.
- [20:01]
Marco Krutoff
And the water was really flat, maybe a little bit too flat, but that I've learned later, when it is too flat, you can't see where the winds come from. We now we run down, down. We touch the water and the first touch was very hard. What I thought is, come on, pilot, you can do better. That's a little bit clumsy of you.
- [20:25]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The plane's float slams down against the sea, making water spray up and splash against the windows. At the exact same moment, a gust of wind grips the small plane and jerks it upwards, back into the air, destabilizing the lightweight craft's fragile balance. Desiree's hand tightens on the back of the pilot's seat, her nerves jangling as the aircraft wobbles. The pilot focuses on recalibrating the plane. He applies full power to the small engine, trying to pull up so he can attempt another landing.
- [20:57]
Desiree Krutoff
He was a little bit mumbling in himself and I was thinking he was pulling up again, but there was also very much noise and the noise was, I didn't realize at that point he was trying to get up again because we were hitting the water too hard and the drivers were too deep in the water.
- [21:17]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The plane judders and shakes as the pilot tries to coax it back up, but within seconds, it collides with the water. Once again, the pilot has lost control. Desiree and Marco do what they can to brace themselves. The aircraft hits the water for a third time, sending a hard, shuddering jolt through its framework.
- [21:38]
Marco Krutoff
And by the third time, when he touched the water again, I thought, stop the plane. This gone. Not so good.
- [21:45]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
A heartbeat later, the plane's left wing slices through the silky surface of the sea, sending spumes of water spraying into the air. The pilot yells something unintelligible, his voice hoarse. Glass shatters and metal crumples as the plane lurches, and a second later, the world is turned upside down.
- [22:07]
Desiree Krutoff
I saw the wing hitting the water, and at that moment the pilot yelled something. And then we were flipping over and I was telling to myself, this can't be real.
- [22:32]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
It is the evening of May 19, 2025. In the frigid waters that separate Vancouver island from the west coast of the Canadian mainland, a small seaplane bobs upside down, its left wing crushed and mangled by its recent crash. Inside the wreckage, the cabin has already flooded with seawater. It's viciously cold, only a few degrees above freezing, and they're still strapped into their seats. Three motionless figures dangle upside down. At first, there's no telling if any of them have survived the impact. Their limbs bob weakly underwater. But then the woman seated next to the pilot suddenly moves, a stream of bubbles dispersing from her mouth. She blinks, confused and bewildered, having been knocked out by the force of the crash. Then everything comes streaming back.
- [23:26]
Desiree Krutoff
The next thing I can remember is that I'm in the water. It was completely beautiful blue, and I didn't feel cold or anything. I just saw the water. So I tried to get my seat belt off. It went off. And what I at that point found very strange was that I was falling over, but we were upside down. I didn't realize that at that point.
- [23:53]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
After freeing herself from her belt, she tumbles through the water and thuds against the upturned ceiling of the fuselage. Disorientated, she reaches out her arms and starts groping her way through the dark, submerged cabin, trying to find a door. Slowly, she moves through the cramped space, the air in her lungs rapidly depleting. She only has a matter of seconds to escape.
- [24:20]
Desiree Krutoff
I was turning around and I know that I didn't have any air, not much, and I went to the door, to the handle, and I was pulling it right and left because I didn't know which way I should pull it, and it didn't move.
- [24:36]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree wrestles with the handle, trying to yank it this way and that, her movements becoming increasingly frantic. But the door doesn't budge. Her chest grows tight as she heaves on the handle, and dark spots begin swimming at the edge of her vision.
- [24:52]
Desiree Krutoff
I didn't have much oxygen left, and I turned around and I was thinking, the only thing I can do is to kick the door open. I realized I didn't have the oxygen, but I was very calm, so there was no panic or anything like that. And also there was a little bit of unbelief. I think that's the right word in English. This is not real. So there was something in me that told me, I'm going to survive this, because the only thing I knew, I had to kick that door open, because if I couldn't get out, maybe Marco could.
- [25:28]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Unsure of Marco's condition after the crash, Desiree clings to the hope that even if she can't make it out of the aircraft, perhaps she can save her husband. With her lungs screaming for air, she uses her last shred of strength to lunge at the door, kicking it with all her might. She feels it give beneath her feet, but it's just a second too late.
- [25:52]
Desiree Krutoff
I think it moved, but that's the last thing I can't remember. And then it went dark. Everything goes so fast, and people tell. Then it looks like your life is passing through your. Your mind, and it does. I had that. I was thinking of my children, I was thinking of my family, I was thinking of my friends, of course I was thinking of my husband, but my children, yeah, they were the most what was going to my mind because they are very precious to me.
- [26:21]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree floats unconscious in the water, only inches from the now open door, just a fraction too late to escape. Meanwhile, in his seat at the back of the aircraft, Marco has finally come to after being knocked unconscious by the crash. As chance would have it, he has recently completed offshore safety training in his work for a grid operator, during which he learned how to escape from a downed helicopter.
- [26:50]
Marco Krutoff
So in a really huge swimming pool with waves, with. With wind, I stepped in a cabin, and there they dropped me in the water and trained me how I must rescue myself. But also always when I come in a room, I always look to the emergency door. I always look to an escape route. And is that necessary? No. But that all was very, very, very helpful.
- [27:23]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Thanks to a combination of training and natural instinct, Marco is able to stay calm. He reaches for his belt, fumbling to undo it. Still dazed, still hanging upside down, his fingers feel clumsy, and it takes him several attempts to free himself. Eventually, though, it gives way, and he immediately plummets through the water. He hits the ceiling of the Plane then pushes upwards. In a moment of immense good fortune, he emerges into a tiny remaining air pocket. The aircraft is flooding fast and the pocket is quickly disappearing. But it gives him just enough time to take some much needed breaths.
- [28:05]
Marco Krutoff
I also recognize directly I won attempt to go out. So I take some air. Not enough, but okay, try to swim to the front. But that was for me, the bad direction.
- [28:20]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Disorientated with limited visibility, Marco accidentally swims the wrong way into the back of the plane. Quickly, he turns back and flounders his way through the cramped cabin. Then catches sight of the open door. Perhaps his wife has already made it out safely and is waiting for him at the surface. With renewed energy, Marco swims towards the door, his exit route now clear. But then he sees something that chills his blood.
- [28:49]
Marco Krutoff
And there for me was that really traumatic. I saw my wife, and my wife was hanging there in the plane, and luckily she opened the door. But at that moment, I didn't recognize that I saw an all to go outside. And immediately I took her with me.
- [29:13]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
With a strength born of desperation and adrenaline, Marco pulls his wife through the door of the plane and kicks his way up to the surface. His head breaks the water and he takes a much needed gasp of cold air.
- [29:25]
Desiree Krutoff
There.
- [29:27]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
His eyes lock on his wife's pale, bloodless face.
- [29:33]
Marco Krutoff
That was, for me, traumatic because I'm the pusher. I would like to go to the float plane trip. And now my wife is dead. Come on, stupid guy. What do you want in your life? Push your wife to this kind of accidents. So I blame myself a lot.
- [29:56]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Eyes shut, skin pallid. For a moment, it seems it's already too late. And then, blessedly, Desiree coughs, splutters, and her eyes blink open.
- [30:08]
Marco Krutoff
I took her up and she started breathing. So that was one of my biggest release ever in my life.
- [30:17]
Desiree Krutoff
When Marco was pulling me up and when my head is out of the water, I took a breath. I'm not sure how, but I did it. And that was the moment I was conscious.
- [30:28]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Immediately, relief surges through Marco and he holds Desiree tight. But the freezing water is assaulting their bones. They had been warned that you only have a few minutes in water this cold. And what's more, not everybody is out of the plane. The pilot hasn't surfaced yet. After ensuring his wife is okay, Marco prepares to dive back under and search for him. But then, just before he can disappear back beneath the water, the pilot's head surfaces next to the wreckage.
- [31:01]
Marco Krutoff
That was my second release. All right, now we all are alive. That's the most important thing. And I know the water is very cold, but you don't feel anything and you are so calm and so your instinct to survive. I could walk over water.
- [31:20]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
The pilot splashes over towards Desiree and Marco and reminds them to blow their life jackets up, something each has forgotten in the chaos of trying to escape the plane with their vests inflated, Marco scans their surroundings and sees in the far distance, a number of small boats approaching, piloted by locals who saw the crash. Help is on the way, but the boats are too far away for the survivors to stay still. The icy water is quickly sapping their strength. Desiree, Marco and the pilot are reaching the limits of what they can endure before their bodies shut down. Rescue may not reach them in time. An intense discussion ensues about what to do. Desiree suggests swimming towards the shore. Their pilot wants them to huddle together in the water. Marco insists they all scramble onto the wreckage of the plane. It doesn't take long for Marco to win the argument.
- [32:16]
Desiree Krutoff
If Marco wants something, mostly it happens. So Marco was the winner of our three and he put us on the plane. And he tried to put me higher so I would be out of the water.
- [32:28]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree clings to the slippery surface of the aircraft's wreckage, shivering, her wet clothes plastered to her skin. She's shaken, but at least she's out of the dangerously cold water. Just behind her, Marco and the pilots scramble up to join her on the upturned plane. And as they do, a new and terrifying sensation takes hold of Desiree.
- [32:53]
Desiree Krutoff
And in the moments that I was on there, he and the pilot climb on it. And at that point I realized that I wasn't getting any oxygen.
- [33:02]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree tries to clear her throat. Perhaps she swallowed too much seawater when she was unconscious. She coughs and attempts to inhale, but she can't. It's as if there is a blockage in her windpipe, preventing her from breathing. Something is very wrong.
- [33:18]
Desiree Krutoff
I try to control my breathing, but. But I didn't get any oxygen, so I called Marco and I said I can't breathe.
- [33:31]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Panic rises in Marco's face as his wife begins choking in front of him. Her chest heaves and her eyes water as she attempts to gulp air without success. He glances down at her neck, pulsing and throbbing with the effort of trying to breathe. Then, in a flash, he reaches towards her, his fingers closing on something at her throat. He pulls. Suddenly, Desiree gasps and her lungs inflate, relief and oxygen flooding through her body. Unbeknownst to her, the cord from the headset she was wearing in the plane had become wrapped around her neck, impeding her airflow.
- [34:09]
Desiree Krutoff
My headphone was over my throat and it was pulling my throat together, so I couldn't breathe because there was really something. I was choking, but I didn't realize because you have so much adrenaline and stress. So Marco pulled it away and I could breathe again. So, okay. At that point, the boats were arriving and I remember Marco was yelling, my wife first. My wife first.
- [34:38]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Locals who witnessed the crash have arrived in small boats. Initially, there is confusion since these float planes usually carry six passengers plus the pilot. The sight of just three survivors naturally leads to the assumption that there have been fatalities or that there are still others beneath the water. Desiree, Marco and the pilot assure their rescuers that this is not the case. They are then quickly helped onto one of the vessels. With everyone out of the water, the boat heads back to the shore. A few hundred meters away. Though Desiree and Marco are bruised, shaken and shocked, they appear to be in better shape than the pilot, who hit his head hard on the front window during the collision. It turns out that by moving Desiree's chair backwards before taking off, he probably helped save her life as she was prevented from hitting her own head at full force. Despite everything that has happened, they have made it out and Marco's spirits somehow remain high.
- [35:37]
Marco Krutoff
At that moment, for me, the accident was happened. Tomorrow we go and continue our journey in Canada. How crazy can you think after so extreme accident and still thinking about, all right, what a surprise, what an accident. But tomorrow in our rv we go further with our holiday and that was what I really thought.
- [36:03]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
After arriving on land, the three survivors are taken to a small shelter and given dry clothes as well as basic medical attention whilst they wait for the Coast Guard to arrive.
- [36:11]
Desiree Krutoff
We were sitting there in our underwear and we didn't care. We didn't even realize at that point. So they started to give us a little bit sweaters and warm kind of things and they starting to check us out. We had bruises, we had scratches, we had blood, we had broken ribs and that was the most painful for us.
- [36:32]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Within 30 minutes, the coast guard shows up alongside their medical equipment. They have also brought body bags. Evidently the message that everyone survived the crash has not been passed on for us.
- [36:45]
Marco Krutoff
It was really an eye opener. So what's happened us is really special that we survived really as a team. Because I'm so proud of Desiree that she opened the door and get loose off her belt. So that was really a huge wake up call. That they came with body bags. And I was in the dream. Tomorrow I will continue the journey, our holiday.
- [37:15]
Desiree Krutoff
Most of the time, people die at this kind of pressure. And that was the first moment I realized that because I was in the survival mode. And then I realized, oh, my God, we could have been dead. And that was very painful.
- [37:31]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Desiree, Marco, and the pilot board a Coast Guard vessel and set off towards Vancouver island to receive proper medical treatment. And it's during this journey that the couple turn to each other and talk about what just happened in the boat.
- [37:46]
Marco Krutoff
We had a discussion with one of the rescuers about body bags, et cetera. What we have done, that's not normal. So that is extraordinary, what we have done. I had a feeling of superpowers. I said, come on, we can survive everything. Our marriage. Now, a floatplane can't destroy our marriage.
- [38:09]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
After arriving at the harbor, the pilot is immediately transferred to an ambulance and taken to hospital. But for Marco and Desiree, things aren't quite as simple.
- [38:20]
Desiree Krutoff
The guy from the ambulance told me, can I have your credit card? So I was thinking, my credit card. Okay, well, the credit card is in my husband's phone. But Marco was filming during the crash, and he lost his phone. So the phone was on the plane somewhere in the ocean. So we didn't have a credit card. And then he said, well, if you don't have a credit card, we can't take you to the hospital.
- [38:44]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Instead, a waiting police car offers to give Marco and Desiree a lift. However, when they finally reach the hospital, they face the same problem and are refused treatment. Left with few other options, the frustrated couple eventually decide to return to their rv.
- [39:04]
Marco Krutoff
We arrived in our rv, lay on bed, and five minutes later, we look to each other. Can you sleep now? The pain will slowly increase. Really slowly.
- [39:17]
Desiree Krutoff
Yeah, we couldn't sleep. We had so much stress. And after, I think, two hours, I realized I had travel insurance. And I said, well, maybe we should call the travel insurance. So we did that, and they told us immediately to call 911 and go back to the hospital, because, yeah, we didn't really think of it, but we could have had internal bleedings or anything like that.
- [39:40]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Eventually, they managed to get an ambulance to take them back to the hospital. It takes the insurance company more than an hour to sort out the paperwork over the phone. But in the early hours of the morning, Desiree and Marco are finally seen by medics. They are checked over and given X rays. By the time the results are in, the sun has already risen.
- [40:01]
Desiree Krutoff
I had two broken ribs. And Marco is one. And because I was hitting with my head, the death point and I had pain on my head, they decided also to make not an X ray, but a picture of my head to see if there's anything wrong. And when the doctor came out, he told us, we found something. There's nothing broke, there's nothing from the air crash, but we found something in your throat. Did you smoke?
- [40:30]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Surprised, Desiree informs them she has never smoked in her life. She is told There is a 4 centimeter mass in her throat, but that if she doesn't smoke, then it isn't anything serious. She and Marco can carry on with their trip. Exhausted from their ordeal, the couple return to their RV to get some rest and start processing everything that has happened in the last 24 hours. Later, however, the conversation with the medic comes back to them, and they decide to send the hospital report to their doctor back home in the Netherlands. Shortly afterwards, the phone rings.
- [41:07]
Marco Krutoff
I got a phone call back from the hospital, from the cancer center, and they told me, or us, this is really serious. You have to come back. And then it's in five seconds you have decided, all right, you have to go back. This is serious.
- [41:28]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Within days, the couple are back in the Netherlands, where Desiree is diagnosed with throat cancer. It transpires the reason she couldn't breathe with the headset wire wrapped around her throat was because it was pressing on the tumor and blocking her airway. Though the crash was traumatic, it may also have saved her life.
- [41:47]
Desiree Krutoff
If the plane crash didn't happen. I'm not sure when I found out I had a throat cancer, and I'm not sure if then they could solve it. So we also call it a little bit of a more miracle.
- [42:03]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
Alongside cancer treatment, Desiree and Marco also start a type of psychotherapy known as EMDR to try and come to terms with the accident. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a remarkable technique that involves moving your eyes in specific ways whilst processing traumatic memories. It is a proven method that can help with, among other things, ptsd. In September, just a handful of months after the crash, the couple briefly return to Canada, where they revisit the site of the crash and meet their rescuers and the pilot.
- [42:39]
Marco Krutoff
It is so helpful to speak again with your rescue people, to speak again with the owner of the company, to speak with the pilots, to speak with the Coast Guard members, to see them, to laugh with them, to cry with them. And that was in September. At the end of September, we had our last sessions with EMDR and that is also the moment that we both can say that the accident, the trauma make us stronger. But the journey is really heavy.
- [43:17]
Desiree Krutoff
I think our perspective of life has changed completely. We realize how delicate life is, that if that goes a little bit wrong, you can lose someone or you can lose your life. So we have decided to make sure we have more time with the family, with the children, and more time for each other.
- [43:37]
Marco Krutoff
You realize so strong what is really important in life. To have quality time together, to be really in touch, to have quality time with your kids, with friends, is not related to money or to all the things that you have. So my perspective on life has changed a lot.
- [44:02]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
What started as a journey to reconnect and talk about their future has led unintentionally to a whole lot more.
- [44:10]
Marco Krutoff
Please reflect to yourself what is really important and take your time for that simple question. What is really important? And my insight after a traumatic accident is that what is really important? Not all the materials I have. No, what really is important is my health, my wife, my children, and help each other and have really enough quality time for each other in good times and in bad times. Stand next to each other.
- [44:59]
Narrator (Documentary/Podcast Host)
In the next episode, we meet 31 year old Les Morlan. In November 1985, Les, a mechanic at a gold mine in the mountains of Colorado, is racing to complete some essential construction work before a blizzard rolls in. While keeping one eye on the approaching storm, he and his colleague Jack are operating a mechanical loader when they are caught off guard by something that no forecast could have been predicted. A devastating natural disaster that descends on the mine where the two men are working. They will become separated and Les will be left buried upside down beneath 50ft of compacted snow and ice. Disorientated, running out of oxygen and with nobody around to help, he will have to claw his way to the surface in more ways than one. He will have to dig deep. That's next time on Real Survival Stories. Listen today without waiting and without ads, by joining Noiser Plus.