NYC Plane Crash Survivor: a 'Miracle'

[DoYouEverWonder]

October 12, 2006

NEW YORK -- A woman in a high-rise apartment hit by New York Yankee Cory Lidle's plane survived after her housekeeper saw the aircraft coming and rushed in from another room to get her out, a relative of the resident said Thursday.

Flames from the deadly crash scorched Ilana Benhuri's back and legs but she "has very good spirits," said her husband, Dr. Parviz Benhuri.

"She was in the same room that the nose of the plane hit," said her brother-in-law Dr. Marc Benhuri. "I'm telling you it's an absolute miracle that she's alive. I honestly believe that God was sitting on her shoulder."

Ilana Benhuri, 50, was doing paperwork at her desk when she heard the small plane outside her 30th-floor apartment, Marc Benhuri said. The housekeeper, Eveline Reategue, saw the plane coming and rushed into the other room to get her, he said.

The plane crashed into the apartment as they were trying to get out, Marc Benhuri said. Lidle and his flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, were killed.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns...

[HeeBGBz]

1. That's one to tell the grandkids about

Can you imagine the "oh shit!" factor? Run awayyyy!

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Amazing they had enough of their wits about them

to close the doors behind them.

[bainz]

2. Miracle? LBN? n/t

[notadmblnd]

20. I don't see where god has anything to do with it either.

The housekeeper saved the woman. If God had really been on the job, the crash would never have happened.

[Wise Doubter]

32. EXACTLY !!

"God" sure wasn`t sitting on the shoulder of anyone on 9/11.


Why is it that after a boxing match, or other type of sporting event, you always hear the winner thanking God for their victory?

You never get to hear the loser`s thoughts : " Man, that fucker, God, really let me down !"

[donsu]

41. yes, the housekeeper saved her

nt

[KurtNYC]

54. Well if they gave due credit to the housekeeper they

would have to tip her or something. Much cheaper to thank God.

[yurbud]

46. can also just mean extraordinary luck. Don't you eve say "JESUS CHRIST!"

or "GOD DAMN IT!" and not mean it as a profession of faith or a literal prayer that God damn something?

[barb162]

4. Amazing they both didn't have heart attacks right there

[Ilsa]

52. Or become paralyzed by fear. nt

[Atman]

5. God was sitting on her shoulder watching another of his children...

...fly into her living room and burst into flames?

Wow, that God dude...what a cut-up!

.

[HeeBGBz]

8. That would be Q

Omnipotent pain in the ass.

[greccogirl]

10. Yes, He must have been

looking out for her.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

18. The point is....

why wasn't He looking out for Lidle and the trainer??? She was somehow more worthy of His care then they?

Those who claim miracles when others lose cheapen God, IMO.

[Lindacooks]

12. Yep, my point exactly.

I dare that guy to say that to Lidle's family.

[donco6]

6. Wouldn't the miracle have been if the plane didn't hit?

If that's a miracle, I think I'll pass.

[Dead_Parrot]

7. "I honestly believe that God was sitting on her shoulder"

That's the weirdest thing I've heard in a while. Is there some new parrot god of plane crashes?

[Binka]

16. Occasionally He Says "God Wants A Cracker"

Sweet guy.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. I am sitting her with insomnia...

and you just made me laugh out loud. Thank you!

[Binka]

21. Not To Toot My Own Horn (Parrot) It Made Me LOL TOO!

Now get to bed!

[Oak2004]

38. Wrong!

I have a special personal relationship with a Supreme Ruler who sits on my shoulder, and mine says "Mommee! Want Avi-cake! Help me!", at full volume, with the Divine Beak inserted partway into my ear canal. I hear the ringing of St. Peter's bells, or at least plenty of ringing of some sort, for some time after receiving the Miraculous Message.

While I'm aware that many of you who comment in this vein are atheists, I'm not, and I too dislike commentary which suggests that God plays favorites. It profanes God. God isn't a guy in the clouds with a scaled-up human ego; God is more nearly approximated as Ultimate Principle operating far beyond conventional human thought, including human notions of favoritism (though that description, too, falls short, as any description must).

[VegasWolf]

43. No! God was sitting on the pilot's shoulder yelling to the housekeeper to

"Run for your fucking life!!!"

[tk2kewl]

9. seems to me she was saved by her housekeeper

I wonder if the house keeper is an undocumented immigrant?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

15. I'm thinking it wasn't 'god'

it was the housekeeper for crying out loud! Why are they giving credit to God? Apparently he was napping or something, or the plane wouldn't have crashed in the first damn place!

[zanne]

25. And WTF happened to the housekeeper? nt

[Renew Deal]

11. She is very lucky.

[jobycom]

13. A brave act by a housekeeper, not a miracle.

A miracle is an unexplainable occurence that violates natural law. Walking on water, raising the dead. Sounds like the good doctor is thanking the wrong person. The housekeeper saved his wife's life, and she didn't turn water into wine to do it. She just overcame the most basic human instinct to run away from danger.

[aaronbees]

17. Absolutely ....it's commendable heroism

and not a miracle. Give that good housekeeper a raise!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[qanda]

22. Aren't these people allowed to believe that their loved one being alive

Is a miracle? She wasn't flying a plane, she was sitting at her desk assuming very little risk. To them it's a miracle that a plane crashed directly into the room she was in and she was able to survive. If it were my loved one I would be thanking God also that they survived this horrific accident.

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. The religious references in the article

are a bit over the top.

God didn't save this woman, the housekeeper did. Yet, the real hero in the story is ignored by the reporter. Who ever wrote this drivel took a good story and ruined it.

[Renew Deal]

24. Who put the housekeeper there?

God

[Binka]

26. Actually Poverty Put Her There

If she any money she wouldn't be a fucking housekeeper.

[Renew Deal]

27. You don't know that.

If any of us had any money, we wouldn't be doing anything we're doing. Housekeepers in NYC often do well for themselves, especially if they work in nice buildings like that one. You have no idea how she got to that position. Maybe it was God's will.

[Binka]

30. Ever Worked As A Housekeeper For Wealthy Folks? I Have.

It most certainly was NOT God's will that I scrub their toilets. NO FUCKING WAY! Just sayin'.

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. Actually in NYC a housekeeper can do pretty well

My friend's mom is in her 80's and is still working. She's loves her job and she's worked for some pretty intersesting people, from Kitty Carlisle to Anne Klein.

I was a mother's helper for a few years for some rich folks on the upper eastside. It was a great gig.

[mikita]

29. A.fucking.MEN

oh, excuse me GOD!

[KurtNYC]

55. So God f*cked up the plane,

let them steer it into the building, killing both of them, dropping fire onto the sidewalk below, etc. but just to soften the horror a little He makes the housekeeper risk her own ass to save this other woman? It wasn't bad enough that God made the Yankees lose in a sweep by Detroit, He had to kill Cory Lidle AND his instructor? Wow -- how Old Testament of Him!

[Renew Deal]

57. Yes, exactly

And the Yankee's are God's team.

[brentspeak]

50. Whoever wrote the story was simply quoting the brother-in-law

[DoYouEverWonder]

56. Whoever wrote the story

decides what to quote and what not to quote and what angle to take on the story.

If you've ever been interviewed, it's an interesting experience. Half the time they don't even get the quotes right and by the time they get the story to print, you end up scratching your head saying to yourself, that's not what I said or meant.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

31. Thanks.

I'm totally with you on that thought. And I can't understand why people need to take such pot shots.

[FlaGranny]

34. Not that I want to

take a pot shot, but it has always just floored me when someone is mangled almost to death in some horrible accident and then says how lucky they have been. Lucky would have been avoiding the accident in the first place. Surviving the injuries has more to do with your doctors and your own will to live. I feel more or less the same way when God is brought into it, but, of course, I'm not going to begrudge someone their beliefs.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

53. God was brought into because that is their paradigm.

And I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

To use God to justify war, hate, bigotry, and discrimination is wrong--and un-Godly.

But to thank God for perceived salvation is at worst harmless and at best inspirational.

[soleft]

33. And they say you can't find good help

[onenote]

35. interesting double standard

There seems to be a lot of criticism directed at the family of this woman for describing her survival as a miracle and attributing it to God. Earlier this year a DUer's daughter went missing for a number of days and when, thankfully, she was found, many posters responded with "thank God" -- and I don't remember a single post criticizes that sentiment.

Just saying...

[FredScuttle]

37. So what's your point?

that we have different reactions to a member of our community who's gone through a trauma vs. a complete stranger whose family reacts as if Jesus himself came down and rushed her out of the way of a plane that happened to crash in her building?

Yeah, we're human...go figure.

[onenote]

42. My point is pretty clear, don't you think?

Yes, we're human. So is the family of the woman who survived the crash.

I just think progressive humans would be as tolerant and forgiving of a stranger as a "member of our community".

[FredScuttle]

44. Expect for one pertinent difference

I doubt DUers would be so crass and self important as to extol the glories of God in a tragedy where two people lost their lives simply because their dogs in the hunt made it out alive. In our example, the DUers daughter was safe and no one was hurt. In this case, where two people were killed, it's more than a little insensitive to make this big show about "God's divine hand".

Better to be glad she's alive and keep the God nonsense to yourself.

[onenote]

47. so, if a DUer's child makes it home from Iraq safely

and someone here expresses the sentiment "thank god" they made it home okay, you'll jump all over them since its insensitive?

okay...

[FredScuttle]

48. Stirring up trouble again, Carlos?

tsk, tsk.

[onenote]

49. don't think so Carlotta

Just making a point. Thanks for helping.

[qanda]

40. Let the church say....

AMEN!!!!!!!

[VegasWolf]

36. What a joke ...

The imaginary people believers are praising god for saving this one woman. Guess god was so busy with her that he let all the others be killed in the crash. Only the truly brainwashed could praise god for success in this incident. Sort of like praising Bush for success in Iraq because a school room received a fresh coat of paint.

[The Animator]

39. I think you guys are all missing a vital clue here...

What if the housekeeper is God? Then both statement would be true... Course I still have know idea why the housekeeper would be sitting on this lady's shoulder while a friggin' plane came crashing into the room.

[yurbud]

45. I thought they meant someone in the plane. That would be cool.

[brentspeak]

51. A lot of contenders for "Dumb/Ignorant Posts of the Day" on this thread

The brother-in-law of the rescued woman believes that her rescue was a "miracle."

So.What.

We've got some Thought Police here.