Santema,Rus 1956-1977

SANTEMA

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-Volunteer
Date: 1/31/2015 at 21:30:45

Source: Rock Valley Bee (12-22-1977)

Born: 1956
Died: 1977

Rus Santema, 21, a Rock Valley native, has been termed officially “presumed lost at sea” following his being reported missing while piloting a twin-engine cargo plane from Point Hope to Kotzubue, Alaska. Santema was making a short homeward flight on the night of November 21. Parents of the missing man are the John Santemas of Rock Valley.

Santema and Earl Gort of Doon flew to Alaska last week to be in close contact with the results of the search flights and rode aboard one of the search planes. Nothing was found. Officially the search has been stopped. However, friends of young Santema are continuing flights in the slim hope of finding him.

Earlier speculation that the plane might have been hijacked and ordered to land at a remote village has been ruled now as very unlikely. No wreckage or downed plane has been found along the 150 mile route of flat tundra. Santema made no radio contact indicating he was having trouble over the ocean, some eight miles or so from the coastline. It is believed that he experienced sudden mechanical failure, possibly a broken propeller or water in the fuel that killed both engines.

Missing along with Santema is a young woman, a ticket agent for the same company. She was returning to Kotzubue.

Kotzube is in the far north of Alaska. There are no roads and sea travel is closed during the winter. Planes carry both passengers and freight in this remote area.

Gort described the country up there was sparsely populated, mostly by Eskimos and he described the area as a savage environment for people to live in.

Santema was described by his airline company as a “very reliable and experienced pilot.”

Rus has been flying for some time in Alaska. His hope was to eventually become a missionary bush pilot in South America. This position required him to be age 24 and he was bidding his time until then.

The return of John Santema and Gort from Alaska brought the sad official report to family and friends of Rus.