EWA BEACH, Hawaii - For the first time we are getting a glimpse of last month's plane crash in the waters off Hawaii, through the eyes of one of the survivors.
Ferdinand Puentes is breaking his silence and sharing photos he snapped during the terrifying ordeal. He is still filled with raw emotion, almost one month after surviving a plane crash.
"As the sirens and bells of the airplane were going, it was quiet, everyone knew what was going on," he said.
Puentes turned on his go pro camera moments after the engine of the Makani Kai Air Cessna he was on quit just offshore of Kalaupapa, Molokai.
"Seeing the water coming up really fast. It was pretty much splash down when we hit the water," he said.
Puentes and the rest of his passengers jumped out of the sinking plane.
"It just bit into me like am I dreaming," said Puentes.
He held on to one wing as long as he could. From his vantage point, he got an eerie image of the plane underwater.
Despite being an avid water man, Puentes' life vest wasn't enough to keep him from going under, so pilot Clyde Kawasaki gave him an extra seat cushion to stay afloat.
"Steel-toed boots, heavy work jeans and long sleeve shirt it was hard and exhausting to swim with all that," said Puentes.
After floating for what seemed like hours, Puentes and the rest of the people on board were picked up by the coast guard. He was flown to the Queens Medical Center to get checked out. He says his life has been forever changed by that day.
"A lot of things, seem petty now, can't take things for granted," he said.
On Wednesday, he boarded another round-trip flight to Kalaupapa to overcome his fear of flying.
"It hurts but you have to heal. It's my way of moving forward," he said.
Puentes says he has made a lifelong friend following the ordeal. He and pilot Clyde Kawasaki chat and text to keep up with each other's lives.
The NTSB continues to investigate what caused the engine to lose power.
