Arianna Marshall stands on the runway of Whidbey Airpark. A month ago, she raced along it to reach the site of a plane crash. (Kira Erickson / South Whidbey Record)

Arianna Marshall stands on the runway of Whidbey Airpark. A month ago, she raced along it to reach the site of a plane crash. (Kira Erickson / South Whidbey Record)

Teenager commended for response to South Whidbey plane crash

Arianna Marshall, 17, had just taken her first lesson on Oct. 11 when she witnessed a plane crash.

LANGLEY — It started out as a flying lesson like any other but turned into something very different.

Arianna Marshall, a 17-year-old South Whidbey student, had just taken her first lesson from Fred Lundahl in his 1975 Cessna 150 Aerobat on Oct. 11 when she witnessed a plane crash. She didn’t hesitate to help.

Marshall was recognized with the Mayor’s Excellence Award at the Langley City Council meeting on Nov. 4 for her quick and calm response to the emergency.

On the day of the crash, Marshall was walking back along the airstrip at Whidbey Airpark, returning to her car parked at a friend’s house.

“I saw this billowing black smoke and I thought, ‘That doesn’t look good,’ ” Marshall recalled.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

A small silver plane she had seen take off not 10 minutes earlier had landed in the brush toward the end of the airstrip. The passenger, local man and pilot Rick Foxworthy, had crashed as a result of his home-built plane losing power.

Marshall sprinted toward the scene of the accident, which wasn’t a completely new experience for her. Last year, she was the first to respond to a car crash on Saratoga Road, helping the driver out of his car and calling 911 for help.

She was prepared to do the same for Foxworthy, who had escaped the plane before it caught fire. But when she pulled out her phone, the battery was nearly dead.

In the span of a few minutes, Marshall weighed her options. After a brief encounter with Foxworthy to ensure he was conscious, she decided to run back to her friend’s house for help. She had also texted Lundahl to alert him. Around this time, airport owners Sky and Tara Rudolph arrived at the crash and made the call.

After Foxworthy was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, Marshall gave the report to police officers and firefighters, who extinguished the fire.

Foxworthy has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. According to the police report, he sustained head and arm injuries. Lundahl, a close friend of Foxworthy, said it’s fortunate his injuries were limited to cracked bones.

“He was one lucky camper,” Lundahl said. “Arianna was very important in calming him down and not letting him go back into the burning plane to get his radio and fire extinguisher.”

Marshall’s knack for being in the right place at the right time continues to surprise her.

“I’m lucky, I’m really lucky,” Marshall said. “I don’t know why this stuff happens to me.”

One would think seeing a plane crash would be enough to deter her from approaching a plane for quite some time. On the contrary, Marshall said she didn’t associate the crash with flying, and she’s even planning to go skydiving this spring while touring colleges on the East Coast.

“I would definitely go back on a little plane,” she said. “If I felt like I really wanted to go flying again, I wouldn’t be hesitant.”

This story originally appeared in the South Whidbey Record, a sibling paper to The Herald.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County report: 10 bridges set for repairs, replacement

An annual report the county released May 22 details the condition of local bridges and future maintenance they may require.

The Edmonds City Council gathers to discuss annexing into South County Fire on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Community group presents vision for Edmonds’ fiscal future

Members from Keep Edmonds Vibrant suggested the council focus on revenue generation and a levy lid lift to address its budget crisis.

Traffic moves north and south along I-5 through Everett on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County saw increase in traffic deaths in 2024

Even though fatalities fell statewide, 64 people died in Snohomish County traffic incidents in 2024, the most in nine years.

Some SnoCo stores see shortages after cyberattack on grocery supplier

Some stores, such as Whole Foods and US Foods CHEF’STORE, informed customers that some items may be temporarily unavailable.

A rainbow LGBTQ+ pride flag hanging from a flag pole outside of Lynnwood City Hall moves in the wind on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood to develop policy after pride flag controversy

Earlier this month, the city denied a group’s request to raise an LGBTQ+ pride flag at a public park, citing the lack of a clear policy.

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Washington governor wants agencies to look for deeper cuts

The state’s financial turmoil hasn’t subsided. It may get worse when a new revenue forecast comes out this month.

Members of the California National Guard and federal law enforcement stand guard as people protest outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, on Tuesday. (Philip Cheung/The New York Times)
Ferguson prepares for possibility of Trump deploying troops in Washington

The governor planned to meet with the state’s top military official Tuesday, after the president sent the National Guard and Marines to respond to Los Angeles protests.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.