Woman Dies Two Weeks After Seaplane Crashed Into American River
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Candace Marshall, the woman who was a passenger in a seaplane that crashed into the American River on Jan. 2, has died.
Marshall was riding in a small seaplane with pilot Keith Hezmalhalch when the plane crash-landed into the American River, leaving Marshall submerged in the river for an unknown amount of time.
Hezmalhalch managed to pull himself out of the plane with an abrasion on his head but walked away from the incident okay. He said in an interview with CBS13 after the crash that he thinks his seaplane crashed because its wheels were down for the planned water landing.
"Looked like one of my best water landings ever," Hezmalhalch said. "Such a beautiful day, and then suddenly it wasn't."
Hezmalhalch fears the wheels were down because of his own pilot error.
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"I feel a sense of failure, a sense of guilt, over not being the kind of pilot that we all are supposed to be," Hezmalhalch said.
After finally making it above water, he dove down again and again to free his passenger, Marshall, who was now unconscious and still strapped in her seat.
"I can tell you, it looks just like it does in the movies," Hezmalhalch said. "It was bad."
Finally freeing her on his fourth dive, he performed CPR until first-responders arrived.
According to a Facebook page detailing Marshall's medical journey in the hospital, she passed away two weeks after the crash on Jan. 17.
