Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421

The passengers vote on whether to continue with the SEIE suits or go with Chris’s plan, and Will suspects that most of the passengers agree to the latter only because he does. Will has absolute faith in Chris but feels a sense of responsibility for whatever will happen next. Bernadette starts acting strangely as her carbon dioxide poisoning worsens. The passengers get her an oxygen bottle and fetch extra ones for everyone else.

Chris calls and says that divers are coming to bring more oxygen tanks and wire cutters to move the last wire out of the way. Will describes the state of the air pocket and says that he is concerned about everyone having enough air. Chris says that they need to figure something out because this plan is going to make the air pocket “a lot smaller” (219).

Will explains to the others that the plane needs to be level and stable for the Falcon to attach and that the rescuers will be weighing the tail down. When they do so, he explains, all the air will be at the top of the plane, and they will need to tread water. Bernadette has nearly recovered but is confused, and everyone starts using the oxygen bottles.