Skydivers Jump From 3,000 Feet to Help Survivors of a Plane Crash

What began as an ordinary skydiving trip in Wisconsin suddenly became an emergency rescue mission when a group of skydivers witnessed a small plane crash into a cornfield.

The incident happened Sunday near East Troy, Wisconsin. A group of skydivers was preparing to jump from a plane when they saw another aircraft disappear behind a line of trees.

The plane, a Beechcraft Debonair carrying four people, had crashed in a cornfield. Because the location was difficult to reach quickly by road, the skydivers decided to take an unusual approach.

The pilot of their aircraft contacted an air traffic controller and received permission to drop three skydivers near the crash site. The three men then parachuted from approximately 3,000 feet and landed in a nearby field.

John Bechtel and Kevin Flynn immediately removed their parachuting equipment and ran through tall corn toward the damaged aircraft. Flynn, who previously worked as a paramedic, found a woman suffering from a head injury.

He checked her condition and helped keep her alert while emergency crews made their way to the scene. Another skydiver, Sean Plastine, ran toward a nearby road to help first responders locate the crash site.

Emergency medical crews arrived only a few minutes later. Three of the four people aboard the crashed aircraft were transported to a hospital for medical evaluation, while the fourth person was treated at the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration later reported that one passenger suffered a minor injury and the other occupants were not seriously injured. A preliminary report indicated that engine problems contributed to the crash, although the investigation was continuing.

For the skydivers, the decision to help was immediate. They had been preparing for a recreational jump, but when they realized people might be trapped in the aircraft, they changed their plans.

The rescue became an extraordinary example of how people who happened to be nearby were able to provide assistance before traditional emergency crews could reach the crash site.

After the emergency response was complete, the skydivers returned to the airport. Their unexpected rescue mission had begun with a routine afternoon in the sky and ended with four people receiving help after surviving a plane crash.

Sources

• The Washington Post — October 1, 2026.
• The Guardian — September 29, 2026.
• Federal Aviation Administration — preliminary information reported by The Washington Post.