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- Issue #333: Escaping a Burning Plane | Gulf Beaches Reopen | A Heroic Rescue Turns Tragic
Issue #333: Escaping a Burning Plane | Gulf Beaches Reopen | A Heroic Rescue Turns Tragic
3/17/2025
Ted Grellner
17 Mar
Keep your finger on the Pulse!
GOOD MORNING
I try to avoid negative, depressing stories in the morning, but I feel there are some learning points to two stories today.
Dr Ted
USAF Retired
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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel
Local Pulse
Our Event Calendar
Local News
— ‘I Thought We Were Going to Die’: Tampa Woman Recalls Escaping Burning Plane
— Beach Advisories Lifted as Red Tide Fades Along Florida’s Gulf Coast
OMG!
— Tampa Woman and Dog Killed While Attempting Highway Rescue
Medical News
— Why WUI Fires Are More Dangerous to Human Health Than Wildfires
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‘I Thought We Were Going to Die’: Tampa Woman Recalls Escaping Burning Plane
A Tampa woman is sharing her terrifying experience after an American Airlines flight erupted in flames upon landing in Denver.
Marisol Cohen was aboard Flight 1006 from Colorado Springs to Dallas when the crew announced the plane was diverting due to rattling in the engine. But as soon as it touched down, chaos erupted.
“Someone screamed fire, which was the worst thing that could have happened because everybody lost control,” Cohen recalled. Thick smoke filled the cabin, windows melted, and passengers scrambled to escape.
Cohen, stuck in the middle of the plane, criticized emergency exit row regulations, saying not all passengers were prepared to assist. She eventually jumped from the wing with the help of a stranger below.
American Airlines confirmed the engine-related issue and said all 172 passengers and six crew members safely evacuated. Cohen, who suffered a minor injury, said the emotional scars will last far longer.
Beach Advisories Lifted as Red Tide Fades Along Florida’s Gulf Coast
The red tide bloom that stretched from Tampa Bay to Key West has dissipated, leading officials to lift beach advisories across Southwest Florida.
The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has removed nearly a dozen health alerts issued between December and February, giving the all-clear to 20 beaches, including Boca Grande Pass, Fort Myers Beach, and Bonita Beach.
The bloom, caused by the Karenia brevis organism, had turned ocean waters a rusty orange, killed marine life, and filled the air with an unpleasant stench. However, recent tests show clear water at most sites.
Some areas, including Punta Gorda Beach and Gasparilla Sound, remain under advisories, and Collier County has yet to lift warnings for beaches like Naples Pier, Vanderbilt Beach, and Wiggins Pass.
Officials caution that red tide could return if conditions become favorable, advising visitors to leave if they experience respiratory or eye irritation.
Tampa Woman and Dog Killed While Attempting Highway Rescue
(I share this only because being a good Samaritan involves very real risks that “we think we fully realize” before acting:)
A 25-year-old Tampa woman was fatally struck by a car while attempting to rescue a dog from Dale Mabry Highway on Thursday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
The woman had stopped her Kia Optima after spotting the dog on the roadway. As she approached the animal, she and the dog were hit by a 69-year-old man driving a Toyota RAV4. Both suffered fatal injuries at the scene.
Authorities have not released the woman’s identity, and no charges have been announced against the driver. This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of pedestrian activity on highways. FHP urges drivers and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution in high-traffic areas.
…and if that story wasn’t bad enough, consider this:
One astonishing but little-known fact about being a Good Samaritan is that helping at accident scenes can sometimes make you legally liable—even in states with Good Samaritan laws.
While most Good Samaritan laws protect bystanders who offer aid in emergencies, some exceptions exist that could leave helpers open to lawsuits. For example:
In some states, if a Good Samaritan provides aid in a way that is deemed “reckless” or “grossly negligent” (even unintentionally), they can still be sued for damages.
If you move an injured person unnecessarily, such as pulling them from a car when there is no immediate danger (like a fire), you might be held liable for worsening their injuries.
Some countries and U.S. states require bystanders to help (such as Vermont and Minnesota), meaning choosing not to act could be illegal in certain situations.
So, while helping is encouraged, understanding the legal risks of being a Good Samaritan is just as important as stepping in to assist.
Why WUI Fires Are More Dangerous to Human Health Than Wildfires
New research published in Science Advances reveals that smoke from wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires is significantly more harmful to human health than smoke from remote wildfires. The study, led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), estimates that WUI fire emissions are about three times more likely to cause premature deaths annually due to their proximity to populated areas.
WUI areas, where wildland vegetation meets human development, have expanded globally and now make up 5% of the world’s land area (excluding Antarctica). Major WUI fires in recent years include Australia’s Black Saturday (2009), Greece’s Attica fires (2018), and Hawaii’s Lahaina fire (2023). The 2025 California fires alone destroyed 16,000 structures, with financial losses estimated at $250 billion.
Using advanced computer modeling, researchers found that while WUI fires account for just 3.1% of global fire emissions, they contribute to 8.8% of premature deaths from fire-related air pollution. Future research will examine how toxic building materials burned in WUI fires impact human health compared to wildland fires.
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