Don Wharton
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Don Wharton is a Christian Musician. Born Don Gordon on December 22, 1951, in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Howard and Millie Gordon. His father died when he was eleven years old and his mother remarried Canadian Hockey Player Len Wharton. He has been an active musician since 1979. He along with six others is known for surving a plane crash into the Bering Sea on August 13, 1993 while returning from Russia. He currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is the director of worship at Promise Lutheran Church.
[edit] The Crash and Rescue
On August 13, 1993 Don and a group of six other missionaries were coming home from a mission trip to Russia. They were on a small twin engine plane over the Bering Sea near Nome, Alaska when the engines gave out. They they floated in the 36 degree water of 3 to 6 foot waves for 35-70 minutes before being rescued by helicopter. The rescue crew brought 7 body bags because no one had ever survived more than 15 minutes in that water. The last person was rescued after 70 minutes of being in the water and every single one of the group survived. Don and his group are noted for being the only survivors of a plane crash into the Bering Sea and the only survivors of water temperatures that cold. Don now tells this story when he visits different churches and groups around the country.
