Syracuse University student Kevin O’Keefe was released from a hospital in good condition Tuesday, a week after surviving a plane crash that killed former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and four others. O’Keefe, who is entering his sophomore year at SU, was among four people who survived when their amphibious plane crashed in bad weather into a remote Alaskan mountainside....
This photo shows the wreckage from the plane crash that killed former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and four others, near Aleknagik, Alaska. A sophisticated beacon was registered to the plane that crashed in Alaska but it wasn't clear whether it was onboard during the flight. Syracuse University student Kevin O’Keefe was released from a hospital in good condition Tuesday, a week after surviving a plane crash that killed former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and four others.
O’Keefe, who is entering his sophomore year at SU, was among four people who survived when their amphibious plane crashed in bad weather into a remote Alaskan mountainside.
The other survivors include his father, Sean O’Keefe, 54, the former NASA administrator and now chief executive officer of EADS North America, a European aerospace and defense contractor.
Sean O’Keefe, a former professor at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, remains at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. His injuries included a fractured pelvis and broken hip.
In a statement released by the family Wednesday, Kevin O’Keefe thanked his rescuers, a team that spent the night in the plane wreckage before the survivors could be airlifted out the next morning.
“I cannot begin to express the depth of gratitude I have for the people who helped me survive and recover from the accident,” Kevin O’Keefe said.
He added, “We are thankful for the outpouring of support that has come from all of those concerned with our well-being. Our family asks that everyone continue to support the loved ones of all of those who didn’t survive the accident.”
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.