Talked to an Angel

by fifilaroach on January 7, 2010 · 7 comments

Connor Flaherty

I’ve often said that this experience has brought so many nice people into our lives. So many kind people have shown interest in our family. It’s been somewhat overwhelming.

If you’ve been following then you know that I posted a couple of videos on the site a couple of days ago. In one of them, the one where Sonil (George’s co-pilot) visited the crash site, you can see Connor Flaherty, the young man who witnessed George’s crash and ran to the wreckage to help.

After seeing him in the video, I called Sanil. I got Connor’s number, and today I talked to him. He told me an amazing, emotional story, of seeing the plane coming in to the runway and then continue through the air, having it pass just a foot above his head, pass on over to the open lawn of a building, hit a tree and sign, blow up, and hit the ground.

“It happened so fast,” he told me.

I asked him what he was thinking that long moment. He said he was thinking he hoped he wouldn’t get burned when he tried to get the pilot out.

Connor is an amazing, kind and very brave person. He only learned on December 30th, when he shot he video with Sonil, that George didn’t survive. He took it very hard.

I think he thought, since he talked to George at the site, and George talked to him, he was going to be just fine.

I found an article where he described what he witnessed.

I could hear his voice shake when we talked about George’s death. “I just thought, how the hell can that happen? He got out of the airplane. He was talking and walking. How did he die?” His mom is a nurse and so she talked to him about burns, infection and complications, so he understands more about why it happened, but still he can hardly believe it.

I know how he feels. When they George and Sanil survived the accident, walking out of the flames like they did, I just thought George was invincible.

And it was a miracle. We just needed another one, as it turned out.

“It just isn’t right,” he told me.

I agree, its not.

We exchanged email addresses and agreed to keep in touch. I thanked him for trying to help George. I told him I was glad he didn’t have to walk into the wreckage and risk burns.

He told me that he had been interviewed about the crash a couple of days after it occurred. The reporter asked how he felt about possibly saving the pilots’ lives. “How do you think I feel?” he asked me. ”First, I thought I saved them. Now, I feel like your husband probably saved me. If he hadn’t steered the plane to the grassy area, he would have hit me in my car. I would be dead!”

Thank God he’s not. He is a hero, and an incredibly caring person. I know his mom is very, very proud of him. I don’t know him and I’m proud of him.

I’ll always owe him a debt of gratitude. He went very close to the wreckage, he called into the flames, and Sonil and George walked out. I know they were confused and shocked, and I’m sure his voice gave them hope. He talked to them, brought them water. He tried to comfort George.

“I looked right into his eyes,” he told me. I’m glad he did. He may be the last person who ever spoke to George.

At the end of the call, Connor asked me if I ever got to talk to George. I told him that George was in a coma when I got to the hospital and never regained consciousness. This bothered him very much. I could hear him struggling with his emotions.

“I’ll do anything I can to help you,” he told me.

Through his bravery and kindness, he’s already done so much for Lily and me.

Once again, I’m overwhelmed.