American Pilot in Hawaii Breaks Through Flames to Rescue 300 People

"I hope the wildfire damage is restored as soon as possible"

Nearly 100 people have died in a massive wildfire on Maui Island, Hawaii, and it was recently revealed that an American pilot saved the lives of 300 tourists.

Bins Eckelkamp. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 13th (local time), CBS and other U.S. media reported that Vince Eckelkamp, a veteran pilot of United Airlines, went on vacation to Hawaii and earned the nickname "hero" after taking the controls to help those stranded at the airport.

According to reports, Vince, who is from Denver, recently went on vacation to Maui Island with his family and woke up early on the 8th at their hotel. Outside the window, the wind was howling, and he instinctively thought he needed to get to the airport as soon as possible.

At that time, Vince’s family arrived at the airport after leaving behind a chaotic scene where trees were uprooted and roofs collapsed. However, the inside of the airport was already in chaos. Flights were being canceled one after another, and even emergency flights could not be operated due to a lack of pilots and crew. Vince’s family’s flight was also canceled, so they had to spend the night at the airport along with other passengers.

As the airline continued to fail to find pilots, Vince went to the United Airlines desk and emphasized that he could help. He was a veteran pilot who had been flying for the airline for 30 years. Currently, he works as a training manager and still sits in the cockpit at least once a month to keep his skills sharp.

Vince revealed his identity, and after review, the airline entrusted him with the controls. Ultimately, he safely flew a passenger plane carrying more than 300 passengers, including his family, back to the mainland.

On the 8th (local time), a large wildfire broke out on the island of Maui, Hawaii, USA, engulfing church and missionary buildings in flames.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Vince recalled the situation, saying, "If no one had volunteered, the flight would have been canceled. There were no more pilots." Vince’s wife, Kecy, expressed sorrow, saying, "(Missing the flight) was just a minor inconvenience for us," and "The people of Hawaii lost their families, homes, and everything."

Vince earned the nickname "hero" locally after piloting a passenger plane carrying over 300 people back to the U.S. mainland amid the Hawaii wildfire disaster. He said, "It was devastating there (Maui). I hope the wildfire damage is restored as soon as possible," adding, "Maui needs so much, and what I did was very small. I am glad I could do what I could."

Meanwhile, according to Hawaiian authorities, at least 93 people have died so far from the fire that started on the 8th. With around 1,000 people missing, the death toll is expected to rise. However, considering that the missing persons’ cellphone signals are scattered and villages have been devastated by the flames, future search efforts are expected to be difficult.