[Don]

The 2002 crash:

" ...... after crashing an experimental aircraft near Troy, Ala., "

"Hicks saw the accident, and without hesitation manned his boat and paddled out to Roush's upside down plane. He dove in, through a layer of jet fuel. On his third dive, he found the cockpit, snapped it open, removed Roush from a harness, pulled him to the surface, revived him, then performed live saving CPR -- all without stable footing. He couldn't touch bottom. "

"He was trained to go down and get pilots out of airplanes," said Roush, obviously choking back tears. "Larry Hicks. How can that be? He tells his wife he loves her, then said he was going to do whatever he can. He jumps in the water with this fool that's just crashed his airplane upside down in eight feet of water. "


http://www.nascar.com/2002/news/head...ate/index.html


Prior to the accident a few weeks ago, was mentioned the flight patterns at the event are extremely busy and the accident rate is " higher " than expected. On one of the runways, there are three landings taking place at one time