Voices and Reactions

“I heard the aircraft and looked up and followed its path until it hit the water. The plane made a quick entry into the water upon impact and disappeared.”

--Drew W. Gottshall

Parks Service employee

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“We heard a boom and we saw a big splash, I mean like 200 feet in the air. We thought, ‘Oh my God, this is not a good deal.’ ”

--Tony Alfieri

squid boat operator

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“Oh my God. This is unbelievable. What we saw out there will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

--Boat captain Joe Villareal

at the crash site

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“It’s going to be a very long, hard road. They don’t anticipate having a lot of easy identifications.”

--Bob Brooks

Ventura County sheriff

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“People seem to have one emotion when something like this happens. There is no wall or barriers between people. It’s beautiful. It’s too bad it takes a tragedy like this to bring us together.”

--Narcizo Rodriguez

Oxnard

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“If you stick that thing in my face one more time, I’ll sue you!”

--A Seattle woman

screaming at photographers

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“If it’s going to help the families, I’d stay out there 24 hours a day.”

--Rick Purschell

Port Hueneme fisherman

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“Empty. That’s how I feel right now. But I’m just kind of looking at it like this is helping someone out there. So I just had to do it.”

--Andy Escedy

Thousands Oaks boat owner

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“We’re going to search the ocean until there’s a zero chance of survivors.”

--Capt. George Wright

Coast Guard

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“We were primarily looking for people and movement. But as the light faded, it was quite evident that it would be tough.”

--Kevin Prindle

Navy pilot

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“If you’re a religious person, now is the time to pray.”

--A Coast Guard officer to a fishing boat crew

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“This is a place we come to jog and enjoy the beach. Now there’s the darkness of death, and death so close to home.”

--Michell Douglass

Oxnard

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“We’ll put them up for the night. We’ll feed them. We’ll console them. We’ll bring them whatever they desire.”

--Ron Wilson

Seattle airport spokesman

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“This is truly a team effort. The seafaring community has really come together.”

--Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Robertson

Coast Guard

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“I fish; this is not what I do.”

--Charles Richards

after his boat came upon a body in the water

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“I’m just hoping that maybe he missed the flight or something. He’s perpetually late.”

--Bonnie Fuller

of Graham, Wash.

whose son was aboard Flight 261