Father and Daughter in Haiti after SR22 Ditching

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:22 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An Alabama father and daughter, Dr. Richard and Elaine McGlaughlin, survived an emergency landing after their Cirrus SR22 experienced an engine failure during a medical mission flight to Haiti.
They successfully deployed the aircraft's BRS parachute and ditched safely off the coast of Florida near the Bahamas, then exited onto an inflatable life raft for rescue.
Despite the harrowing experience, the McGlaughlins continued their journey to Haiti via commercial flight to fulfill their medical aid commitments.

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A father and daughter from Alabama are continuing their medical mission in Haiti after safely ditching off the coast of Florida near the Bahamas on Saturday when the engine in their Cirrus SR22 suddenly quit.

Dr. Richard McGlaughlin, 59, and his daughter, Elaine McGlaughlin, 25, departed from their home near Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday for a planned stop in Miami, before continuing on to Haiti. About an hour after the pair took off from Miami, their Cirrus suffered an engine failure. The crew of a nearby Coast Guard HC-144 patrol aircraft heard McGlaughlin’s radio distress call and immediately dispatched a rescue helicopter to the scene.