Many have asked what it was like that week we were down there. How I found out something was right and what went on past that. So here is the history behind it.
At 5AM on Monday, October 3rd, 2011 my brother called and the phone woke me out of a dead sleep. We had a 5 month old that wasn't sleeping through the night and I think I had just gotten to a deep sleep. I knew something wasn't right when I saw who it was. The conversation went like this:
Brother: Dad's plane is missing.
Me: What do you mean it's missing? How could someone have stolen it? (I thought it was stolen from a hanger)
Brother: No like, missing, he never landed in Johnstown.
Me: (with a feeling of relief) OH WAIT, NO!! I remember seeing and email about a Danville Hotel!! Let me get my....(was trying to fumble and get my computer when he cut me off)
Brother: No Kris, that's mom, mom isn't with him, he dropped her off at the Danville Airport and continued home.
Me: Uh, OK, I guess, I don't understand.
Brother: I have the tower calling in I have to go, call mom.
That phone call will always be remembered, never forgotten and one of the worst moments in my life.
At that moment, there was still SO much hope in me. His ELT wasn't going off, so that means nothing is wrong. I called my Aunt Carrie who had taken lessons to get her take on it. We both were sure that he just had a landing at an unmanned little airport and couldn't get cell signal. He was fine.
Dave went to work, Miss Elaine came for the little boys and Logan went to school. I guess in the back of my mind I knew I wouldn't be back for a while, I grabbed my pump and my computer to head to where my brother was. The mission - Find and Call every little airport around where the radar last picked the plane up.
Where was N115CL?
I got to my parents house where Mike, George and Uncle Dave were. I had tennis shoes, sweatpants, a t-shirt. It was COLD!
We kept getting the run around from everyone and couldn't get ANYTHING accomplished. People were down there searching, no one was searching, they had an ELT, they didn't. We all decided we were going there. We had to be there.
George road down with me. The whole way down we were coming up with different things we would say when we found them at an airport. We would be so mad they made us waste a day and drive down. how could they not call?
It was a very long drive. Looking at maps and talking about it, it seemed easy. We would get there head out and find them.
Then we got close.
And saw the mountains.
I was terrified and I honestly think at that moment I knew my dad was gone. I didn't get sad, I got determined. I would find him. Collectively we would bring dad, Laura and Chas home.
It was truly a disorganized mess. The CAP refused to listen to any info we had been given from other organizations. They called it the 911 disconnect. Everything was so freaking disorganized, and no one would give us answers. So we took off on our quads. We hit the mountains.
I have never seen anything so beautiful or scary in my entire life. We saw Cactus, on the MOUNTAIN in W.V. We didn't come across a single bad soul.
The next 4 days were a blur that I can even describe, the mountains, hill sides, rivers that were crossed and searched. It is incredible the ground we covered. The bruises and forever lasting pain, suffering and hurt that surfaced from this trip...it will never be forgotten.
And really, it all came down to that one moment. The moment that Sargent Cris Siler, who I had grown to love over the past 2 days. He was so honest and forthcoming, asked if I was going in for the meeting. Everyone else had gone in. Why did I stay outside? I answered that I would be in in a moment, I needed a minute.
I think that is when I saw the look in his eye. He said he would wait. Didn't want to start without me. I knew. He didn't have to say it. I stood before him when he searched for the words. I didn't need words. I knew.
I remember screaming.
"No, I don't beleieve you."
"I have to see it."
"Take me there!"
"You're Lying"
"Daddy"
It felt like the temper tantrum of a 3 year old. I am sure it didn't last long, but it was long enough that I am now embarrassed about it!
Then they brought my mom out for me to tell. I told her. I remember sobbing and the only thing that seemed to matter at that moment was "He didn't suffer mommy" "He wasn't scared" "Siler promised there wasn't time to be scared."
What's funny is I don't even remember asking if there was time to be scared. I remember so much. But that I don't remember, I just remember promising my mom that he wasn't scared and he didn't suffer.
For the next hour I talked to the gentleman that was the first on site. Oh how I wish I remembered his name. He was the K-9 unit. I remember coming down off the mountain that day and seeing him and getting all excited because I had stuff with dads scent they could use tomorrow!! I should have known by the look on his face when I said that, that he had already found him. But he was so kind and professional and didn't say a word at that time.
Anyway, he was very forth coming. He didn't hide the answers that I so desperately needed.
I saw on a map, I tried to understand. I didn't loose it again. I couldn't. My mom and family needed me. I was just like my dad. I needed to be strong.
And I was. I got to talk to the medical examiner about the "remains" and I got to go to the funeral home, I got to go to the church to meet with the pastor. I kept working on the business paperwork.
Everyone kept offering to help, but there wasn't anything I was willing to let them do. I had to do it to make sure it was perfect.
Then the funeral came, so many people. I had to speak. The one line that I will leave this story with is the last line in my speech at dads funeral. "I am who I am today, because I had a father like him."
He was amazing. He shouldn't be gone. I love you dad.
