ADVENTURE IN THE HIGH SKIES

ADVENTURE IN THE HIGH SKIES

Jane Lindas at 34 and William Kane at 47 made a perfect team of explorers, working in the exotic adventure section of ‘ National Exploration’ They had done scores of trip together and both with out a word uttered could grasp and understand the moods and needs of each other.

Today getting in to the twin sealer Aero Sail and strapping the safety belt as Jane and gazed at William who was strangely pensive, she instinctively felt a sort of a strange predomination of some impending danger.

It was four hrs flying time from London Hethrew airport to Hammer fest the small township tucked at the north end of Norway. It was 8.05 a.m., early September. The weather at this time generally good. mild and dry, an ideal time for crushing. They were to camp in the wildness for 12 days and study the locals in close quarters.

William a perfectionist had checked the engine thoroughly, filled the tank to the full capacity and was now inspecting the controls.

Jane had taken care of the camping equipments having checked the list twice over with an exhaustive checklist.

They flew steadily for two hrs. William spoke little. He was tuned to the control and was checking his altitude, cruising speed and relating it with the speed, weather conditions etc. She was surveying the scenery down taking photographs at regular intervals.

They were now over Norway. The scenery was progressively getting bleak. The pines and willows giving way to bareness with sheets of snow enveloping the landscape for miles with little patches of green in between.

Jane wanted to take a particular shot. She asked ‘William can you come down 50 mts. And take a circle, this one with a mountain and green valley is interesting. There are some inhabitants too, I would like to take shot “ Sure, I will try, hold your camera and be ready”.

How ever instead of smooth gliding there was a sudden heavy shaking as though they were hit by a thunderbolt and down the plane came rolling and bumping. It all happened in a few seconds and they came crashing down.

Later he found to cause by a very unusual phenomenon. They were hit by a whirlwind traveling at 220 knot/hr which going further south gains momentum and becomes a blizzard.

William severed and tries to control but they crashed falling down from 120 mts. It was sort of a rolling motion as they were falling down in stages.

The terrain was smooth littered with fresh layers of snow. As Jane looked about she could see Kane trapped in the cockpit while she was thrown, flung out along with her seat 50 mts. Away from the plane. As Jane tried to get up, she found was unable to move her left leg, the lower part had severed off.

Luckily there was no flame and she could hear in the stillness of the surrounding Kane’s voice, shrill and faint like a whine, crying out in pain, coming from the cockpit, assuring he is alive.

Jane looked around. It was important to get help, a timely help otherwise their destiny was sealed. Fierce icy winds were blowing. The sun was still bright. She looked at her watch. It had stopped at 11.05 a.m. Far off she could see some houses. Will she be able to make it? Steadily and surely, bearing the searing pain from leg upwards, with tremendous will power, she started moving inch by inch. She seemed to be drained off all her strength after going 50 mts.

Her throat was parched but she knew she couldn’t swallow the snow however thirsty she may be. She looked back to see Kane laying slump over the controls. She must get help.

Another 50 mts. She crawled. The snow was seeping through her dress on to her bare skin covering the raw wound below. The leg had become numb. After a while she could not feel the pain. She knew it was risky. She tried to rotate the limb to bring some circulation. She felt it was a loosing battle.

Suddenly a pair of hands lifted her. She looked above to find the face of a young lad of lap origin lifting her up. She pointed towards Kane and feebly uttered, “Kane there, in the plane” and passed out.

Later she learned in the military hospital at Hammer fest where she found herself, how she and Kane were lifted taken to the safety of the house, where Steven Leaven, the Lap lads family informed the military hospital by wireless, and they were hospitalized.

Kane was unconscious for full twelve days. However he returned to normally and works after 2 months, with out suffering any vital injuries.

Jane lost a part of her left leg, which had to be resurrected with artificial legs. Eight months with rigoures physic therapy helped at later months by Kane, she returned back to normalcy.

Now Jane Linda’s has become Jane Kane marrying William exactly one year after the incident. They have a little Steven between them named in memory of Steven Leven, the Lap lad who saved their life while retuning from the seal hunt after seven days in wilderness.