M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E

Hearts of Courage
Surviving an Alaskan Plane Crash
By John Tippets

In January 1943, Joseph Tippets, a young radio engineer employed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration to Alaska, was one of five passengers on board a Morrison-Knudsen company plane heading north from Seattle. “M-K,” based in Boise, Idaho, was responsible for large construction projects throughout the territory and their chief pilot, Harold Gillam, was at the controls of the Lockheed Electra.

They departed Seattle’s Boeing Field about one-thirty in the afternoon of January 5, taking the coastal route towards Annette Island, the main refueling stop for flights into Anchorage. Joseph Henderson Tippets was originally from Arimo, Idaho. He was returning from a Christmas visit with his gravely ill mother in Ogden, Utah. Also, because he was the President of the LDS Anchorage Branch, while in Utah, he had visited with several General Authorities who were very interested in learning of the progress of the Church in Alaska.

Joe and the other passengers were enjoying blue skies as they flew over Victoria, B.C., but during the next few hours, clear weather gave way to heavy clouds and turbulence. Cold temperatures began to cause ice to collect along the wings of the plane.

Harold Gillam was considered one of the best bush pilots in Alaska, but even his legendary skills were being tested. As they approached their destination, a mechanical failure in the left engine propelled the Electra towards a snow-covered mountain near Boca de Quadra, a deep inlet along the coast of Southeast Alaska.

Just a few days earlier, Joe had sent a letter to his wife expressing his love and telling her how much he missed her and two-year-old Johnny. He wrote, “Godspeed our quick reunion and I hope I beat this letter to you!” Neither of them could have imagined the challenges they were about to face, nor the long difficult weeks they would have to endure before the survivors of the “Gillam crash” were finally, amazingly, rescued!

As Joseph Tippets’ oldest son, I wrote Hearts of Courage, as a carefully researched account of the events leading up the accident to describe the incredible courage and determination of the survivors as they struggle to stay alive in the frozen wilderness. I relied on extensive primary sources, news accounts, and two tape-recorded “firesides” where my father related the circumstances of his miraculous rescue.

As the story is presented in Joseph’s own words, we learn about the tragic loss of the only woman passenger, Susan Batzer. She was a young stenographer on her way to start a new job with the CAA in Anchorage.

When the pilot decided to leave to go find help, we can feel the despair of the others as no rescue came. Harold Gillam, thought to be indestructible, vanished into the rugged terrain and will not seen again until a Coast Guard search party discovered his body a month later.

During the first two weeks on the mountain, the four remaining men shared their dwindling food supplies and built a shelter under the wing of the plane. Their most valuable possessions besides the few sleeping bags and couple of blankets were a rifle and a box of dry matches. These last two items saved their lives on numerous occasions.

By the third week after the crash, they realized their only hope for survival was to somehow move their camp down to a lower elevation where the weather was less severe. They could see a large bay in the distance and believed if they could reach the shore, there might be a chance of rescue.

So, with great effort and using one of the airplane doors as a sled, the men managed to make it to the valley floor. After setting up a new shelter at the edge of the forest, it was agreed that Joe and Sandy Cutting should try and hike out towards the bay and look for some sort of habitation. The other two men, still in bad shape, would stay in camp with the meager remaining food supply and keep a fire going until Joe and Sandy returned. It was the most practical plan, but the future for all of them was uncertain.

Porter – 2007
View of crash mountain (right), Weasel Point (foreground), and Boca de Quadra.

The next few days were full of difficult challenges! As Joe and Sandy approached Boca de Quadra, they discovered an abandoned cabin and a small, leaky rowboat on a spit of land called Weasel Point. Finding a can of tar in the cabin, they were able to patch up the boat and make a perilous round trip across the bay to an old fish cannery that looked promising. But to no avail. The next day, they decided to try a much more risky endeavor. In Joseph’s words:

In testing out the boat again, and after making a few more repairs, we became somewhat bold. We were on a point of land jutting out into the bay, which had a narrow outlet to the sea. We felt if we could make our way out to the open water, we would have a chance to get to Annette Island or find some inhabited place where we could get help.

On Saturday (day 25), we started out. We knew our chances were slim, but desperation and concern for our two comrades back in camp forced us to make a try. We sat in the bottom of the boat, actually sitting in the icy cold water. The boat leaked almost as fast as we could bail. We bailed with one hand and paddled wearily with the other for about an hour. There was only one inch of space on the side of the boat above the water. After a couple hundred yards, we had to run the boat to shore and tip it over to empty it, and then start again.

We should not have undertaken that trip. Before we left, I had a clear feeling that we should not go. It was more than a feeling, it was a warning. But we set out and, as a result, we were headed for disaster.

After we’d been rowing about two hours, a violent storm began to develop. The sky turned black and the waves got higher and higher, heavy swells forcing us to bail even faster to keep afloat. Nearly full of water, the boat capsized and we were dumped into the bay, chilling to the bone in the bitterly cold water. Cakes of ice were floating all around us. We lost our overcoats, cooking utensils, everything but the clothing we had on and our rifle.

Our clothing dragged us down and the waves tossed us around. Just for a moment, I lost all faith and was angry with the Lord. Why, I thought, have you let me go through so much, for so long, only to drown here today? But, almost as I completed that thought, with my head barely above water, I found my feet touching the bottom. Pushing off and trying to swim, we kept together and made it the short distance to the shore.

But we found only rocky cliffs. The waves were dashing us against the slippery rocks and then drawing us back into the water. We could not find a hold. Our hands were so cold we could not hold on when we did get a chance. It took us more than a half hour to finally grasp a ledge and pull ourselves fully out of the water.

Fortunately, we had kept our matches in a bouillon cube tin sealed with adhesive tape and they were dry. We made a small fire and tried to warm our feet. It was like trying to thaw out a piece of ice. We then set out to try and return to our camp, encouraging each other as we went. We did find the remains of our boat washed up on the shore, beaten against the rocks and smashed. Miraculously, under the seat, I found a still preserved bundle with my scriptures and other personal papers.

We were able to shorten our return hike by a mile or more as ice at the north end of Weasel Cove was thick enough to hold our weight. We crossed there, and then worked our way back to our campsite near the point. It had been twelve hours since we had left. As we drew near the shelter, we saw a coast guard cutter circling the bay. Wildly, we ran toward shore, yelling, stumbling, and falling in desperation to get them to see us. But the boat went up the channel and right past Weasel Point before disappearing into the fog beyond.

The faith and prayers of many people, family and friends, were eventually realized when Joseph Tippets and Percy “Sandy” Cutting were rescued from a remote beach near Boca de Quadra Inlet on February 3, 1943.

Joe’s wife, Alta, always believed he was alive and refused to leave Alaska until he was found. Joe and Sandy’s bonfire was spotted by the crew of a small coast guard vessel that just happened to come into the bay. The captain later said he had no real reason to be in that area, but he had a new man on board who wanted to see the old cannery.

The following morning, February 4, the two survivors were able to lead a large coast guard search team back into the wilderness to locate their companions. When they found them, Bob and Dewey were barely alive, surrounded by melting snow water. Two days later, they were brought out on sleds and transferred to a larger ship, the USCG McLane, anchored in nearby Badger Bay. Despite frostbite and broken bones, both men would recover their health. The rescue and subsequent reports about the Gillam crash survivors made headlines across the nation. It was an inspiring story of heroism and endurance that brought a welcome respite to many who were weary of news from the war.

“. . . a source of inspiration to every Latter-day Saint and to many others
who believe in a God who hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.”

Deseret News, Church Section, March 27, 1943

Joe Tippets continued his career with the CAA, and after the Federal Aviation Administration was established, he became the Western Region Director in the 1960s. In 1967, he was appointed Associate Administrator of the FAA for Personnel and Training. That same spring, Brigham Young University awarded Joseph an Honorary Doctorate Degree for his public service to the Church and to the country.

“An astounding story of unparalleled bravery and faith!”

Stephen R. Covey, Author
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

LDS Lives: Hearts of Courage

Scheduled to air again on BYU TV

November 2009 dates and times (MST)

        Monday the 16th @8:00 PM                    Thursday the 19th @ 9:00 AM
        Friday the 20th @ 1:00 AM                        Monday the 23rd @ 4:00 PM

“Through the entire month, Joe never gave up his attempt to find rescue and return to his family. Even when all seemed lost, he kept their memories in his heart, knowing God would take him where he needed to be. . . . Alta knew her husband would return home. . . . That faith stayed with Joe and Alta for the rest of their lives.”

Libbie Martin, in the
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

“Author John Tippets stated, ‘I recently listened again to a recording of a fireside given by Dad where he said one possible reason his life was spared by his Father in Heaven was so he could tell this story to others and increase their faith and confidence that prayers are answered. With the book “Hearts of Courage” and now with this wonderful BYU Television production, that purpose is continuing to be fulfilled.’”

Brigham Young University News

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