AUSTIN, Texas — "Divine intervention."
That's how two local firefighters describe the moment they responded to a plane crash just off of Lakeway Blvd. on March 14.
The two off-duty firefighters, Chris Wood and Justin LaPree, happened to be driving by at the time of the crash and rushed to pull the two occupants of the plane out, as a massive leak was pouring highly flammable aviation fuel into the cockpit, according to officials.
Wood said he was coming from a golf game and driving down Lakeway Blvd. when he saw the plane.
"The plane was really crushed up like a Pepsi can," Wood said. " I found a hole. I went in and both guys were hurt really bad."
LaPree said he was picking his children up when he saw the plane in the ditch.
"I got on Lakeway Blvd. and heard a loud commotion and traffic stopped immediately and I just had this gut feeling that something bad happened," said LaPree.
LaPree went on to say there was a divine intervention playing a big hand in the situation and Scott Nelson, the pilot of the aircraft, seems to agree.
"It was definitely meant to be," Nelson said. "It was a miracle that two firefighters showed up as two of the first people on the scene."
Unfortunately, while Nelson survived, the passenger in the aircraft passed away from his injuries.
"I wish that it would have been a story where it was successful for everybody," LaPree said.
Nelson said he will consider the two firefighters that saved him to be his brothers forever and the firefighters feel the same way.
"His wife bought all three of us the same cross so we're all going to wear the same cross for the rest of our lives, so I think that's a real cool thing," Nelson said. "It kind of makes us brothers in arms in that deal."
Nelson is going to be a father of two. He found out he and his wife were expecting just one week before the crash.
As for the plane, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board showed there were no malfunctions or mechanical issues that day.
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