Earlier this week, four-time Lebanese Olympian Chirine Njeim and her family survived a near-fatal plane crash. The incident, which occurred in Macomb County, Michigan, was terrifying. And their survival? An absolute miracle.
Passengers of the plane included Njeim, her husband, Ronny Kamal (who was piloting the plane), and their niece. A six-month-old Golden Retriever puppy named Charlie was onboard as well. Their survival was against all odds, an event many proclaim an absolute miracle.
A Tragic Accident
The Njeim family departed from a small Macomb County strip in their private airplane on Sunday. They barely lifted to seventy-five feet before Kamal lost control of the engine. He then began preparations for an emergency landing. Given the surrounding terrain, this type of landing was a very ominous task.
Kamal landed the plane amidst a nearby clump of trees. And while the injuries obtained were severe, everyone survived the landing. Emergency personnel arrived on scene immediately to begin assessing the family’s injuries.
They were transported to the nearest hospital for emergency care, suffering broken bones and burns, among other injuries. And little Charlie, the six-month-old puppy, was nowhere to be found. She had run off following the crash and vanished without a trace.
Charlie Goes Missing
Officials promptly launched an intensive search for the missing puppy. They searched miles of wooded terrain, hoping to find any clue to her whereabouts. Officials flew drones overhead and scanned the area with thermal imaging cameras. And many locals gathered to search the area on foot.
However, despite all of their valiant efforts, Charlie was nowhere to be found.
Many worried that Charlie may have died in the crash. Others worried she might have been carried off by predators. After all, what chance did a helpless puppy have if the family escaped death so narrowly?
Thankfully, their “what-ifs” all fled from memory the following morning. At around 3 AM, Charlie was rescued by a local newspaper-delivery driver named Penny Faulk. Initially, Faulk thought she had stumbled upon a baby deer. In the dark of morning, she was unable to make out the lost puppy at first.
Upon further examination, however, she learned that the creature before her was, in fact, Charlie. The pup was scared but completely unharmed.
“I was delivering papers, and I was turning around, and I came back, and I thought I saw a deer walk in front of me,” said Faulk. “I slowed down, and I looked, and it was a puppy. So I opened up my window, and I said, ‘Hey, sweetie. What are you doing out here?’ And she came right up to the car, and she was not going to let me leave without her.”
An Emotional Reunion
Charlie was immediately whisked off to a nearby veterinary office to ensure she was uninjured. The Njeim family, meanwhile, was thrilled to hear of her return. They have reunited, though Kamal remains hospitalized and is awaiting further procedures. Investigators are looking into the exact cause of the mechanical malfunction.
“From what the wreckage was, it is a miracle that all three people survived, that Charlie survived,” said Chief Mark Hoskin with Ray Township Fire. “Everybody’s back together now, which puts the icing on the cake.”
Featured Image: Instagram
Toledo, United States.
