Dad, 2 adult children say it's a miracle they survived plane crash into Vermont's snowy Mount Equinox

While reflecting on an intense rescue made even more harrowing by snow and ice, emergency officials said the heavy snow and open terrain near the peak likely prevented serious injuries.

A small plane piloted by John Murphy, 54, of Baltimore crashed into the snowy peak of Mount Equinox in Bennington County, Vermont. Remarkably, John, his two adult children survived the harrowing incident.

The plane went down around 8:30 a.m. EST Wednesday near the top of Mount Equinox in Vermont. It came to a stop amid twisted metal, towering trees and on top of several feet of snow.

The family was able to call 911 for help and give their location, prompting a swift response from nearly 100 first responders. However, heavy snow and poor weather initially made it difficult for rescuers to reach the survivors. First responders struggled through several feet of snow to get to the plane.

Vermont doesn't have aviation support, so the New York State Police Department was called in to help. Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers Gullen and Thompson, who were preparing for a day of hoist training out of Albany International Airport, received the call and immediately piloted the rescue helicopter to the crash site.

"It was a very heavily wooded area, but we found them," New York State Police Pilot Major Jonathan Sperber said.

Major Sperber lowered the rangers to the mountain into the waist-deep snow. Seeing the wreckage of the crash, the rangers were amazed the three survivors got themselves out of the crushed plane.

"Waling up and seeing that fuselage down on the ground, it was really hard to believe. I was surprised to know that there were [only] minor injuries," Gullen said.

“It’s a miracle we’re alive,” Murphy said in a phone interview with The Baltimore Banner. “My daughter (25-years-old) miraculously doesn’t have a scratch on her, while my son (24-years-old) suffered severe whiplash and needed staples in his head. I broke a bone in my hand and experienced a little bit of whiplash.”

By 12:15 p.m., both forest rangers were at the crash site preparing the survivors to be hoisted into the helicopter.

"I think they were a little uncomfortable having to get back into an aircraft after the experience they just had," Gullen said. But once they were safely in the helicopter, Trooper Aurigama said everyone was relieved.

"Huge sigh of relief, like, once I got all three hooked up and I was able to say 'you're clear for flight' it was like, ok, we did it. We got them out."

Ironically, while it made the rescue extremely difficult, emergency officials said the heavy snow and open terrain near the peak likely prevented more serious injuries by cushioning the plane as it crashed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was on site Friday to investigate the cause of the crash, which remains undetermined.

The Murphy family’s escape from the crash has been hailed by all involved as nothing short of miraculous, thanks to the quick and coordinated efforts of the rescue teams involved.

"It's always a real sense of relief, especially with a plane crash like that," Forest Ranger Michael Thompson said. "We don't do a lot of plane crashes, especially with an outcome like this, so that was a really good feeling."

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