Pilot overcome with grief at losing one of his sons tries to kill himself by crashing into mountain - but survives without a scratch 'after son's voice guided him to safety'
- Mark Darling, 55, was flying over Steamboat Springs, Colorado last month when he thought about his son Travis, who died in a car crash in 2012
- He turned his plane towards the mountain and crashed - but miraculously was not injured
- He says his son's voice encouraged him to survive and guided him to his cell phone, which had landed in the snow
- He called 911 and was rescued after seven hours in freezing conditions
A pilot who crashed his plane into a mountainside after he was overcome with grief at losing one of his sons has miraculously survived with just scratches - and credits his son with saving his life.
Mark Darling was flying alone from Baggs, Wyoming, to Greeley, Colorado on January 25 when he flew over Steamboat Springs, Colorado - where he raised his family - and thought of his son, Travis, who was just 23 when he was killed in a car crash in October 2012.
Darling, 55, made a split-second decision to end his life.
'I make a bad decision at this point,' he told KCNC. 'I turn the airplane east toward the mountains. I say my last goodbyes... I closed my eyes and I wait for the impact.'
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Lucky escape: Mark Darling was overcome with grief about the death of his son as he flew his plane in Colorado last month and tried to take his life by crashing the plane - but he survived without a scratch
But it never came.
Instead, he felt as the Cessna 172F high-wing plane cruised through trees and crumpled at it landed in the snow, miraculously leaving him without a scratch.
He found himself stranded on the snow-covered mountain without any survival equipment. He had also not logged a flight plan so no one would have known where to look when he failed to return.
Despite his earlier death wish, he said he suddenly felt determination to survive - because he heard his son speak to him.
'He's like, "Dad, you are not going out like this",' he recalled. '"You're going to get yourself up and you're going to build a fire and you're going to get yourself out of here".'
He reached for his phone but could not find it anywhere in the wreckage.
Loss: Darling's 23-year-old son Travis, pictured left and right, was killed in a car crash in October 2012
Wreckage: Darling's plan was destroyed when he hit the mountain - but he did not suffer a single injury
At that point, his son spoke to him again and guided him to the other side of the plane, where he found his phone in the snow, he said.
He called his sister and 911, and set up a fire as he waited for emergency responders.
Seven hours after he crashed, eight members of Routt County Search and Rescue rode snowmobiles to him and took him to hospital.
The NTSB is investigating the crash and Darling, who is married with three other sons and a daughter, has not yet spoken to investigators.
His son Travis was killed in 2012 after his pickup went off the road near Rockdale, Texas and rolled over. The accomplished rodeo cowboy had moved to the area just a week before to start a new job on a ranch, according to an article in Steamboat Today.
Saved: He says his son's voice guided him to his cell phone and he called family and 911. Seven hours after the crash, emergency responders reached him and stretchered him to safety, pictured
Despite the ramifications of speaking out publicly about his story, Mark Darling said he is now inspired to share the tale of survival with other people who are grieving.
'I've never felt more alive in my life,' he said. 'I don't know what direction it's going to lead me in but, heck yeah, I'm along for the ride now.'
- For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- For support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here
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