Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 by T. J. Newman, published in 2023 by Simon & Schuster. This work of fiction is an aviation disaster thriller that is not for the faint of heart.
When Flight 1421's engine explodes shortly after takeoff with 99 souls aboard, the pilot has no choice but to ditch the Airbus into the Pacific Ocean near the island of Molokai. Those passengers that did not perish upon impact are left with a take-it-or-leave-it decision to make... evacuate the plane and run the risk of falling victim to the burning jet fuel on the water's surface, or follow the advice and insistence of Will Kent, an engineer by trade and fellow passenger to stay aboard the aircraft. The only problem with that plan is that there is a limited amount of oxygen onboard the ditched jet, it's slowly filling with water, and there's a genuine threat that looms over their heads of drowning when the plane sinks and or breaks apart as it descends further down into the sea.
Twelve passengers and crewmembers opt to remain on the plane, Kit Callahan, the pilot who takes command; the flight crew, Kaholo, Jasmine, Bernadette, and Molly; passengers Ryan, widowed in the crash; Andy, the resident jackass; an elderly couple, Ira and Ruth; Will and his 11-year-old daughter Shannon (two of the main protagonists in the story), and Maia a young girl close in age to Shannon traveling alone.
Chris Kent is Will's estranged wife and Shannon's mother. She also owns and manages an ocean salvage operation company. While working on a government salvage job on a neighboring island, Chris learns of the crashed jet where her daughter and soon-to-be ex-husband are passengers and rushes to the scene, crew, and equipment in tow. She is ultimately recruited (at her insistence) by the Navy in the rescue efforts of the Airbus.
As the wrecked plane teeters on the edge of a cliff 200 feet below the water's surface and is already close to where no one can come to its aid, can Chris devise a method to get the passengers off the jet? Can Will and the other plane passengers find a way to keep the fuselage watertight, at least long enough for rescuers to help them evacuate the sinking plane safely?
Interwoven throughout the novel is a subplot concerning the damaged relationship between Will and Chris, the loss of their eldest daughter Annie, and the overprotection of their youngest, Shannon. Can they put the past behind them, or is it too late?
Some parts of Newman's Drowning are challenging due to their intensity. Also, some technical descriptions concerning the rescue efforts are hard to follow. If you fear the water, flying, or both, this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the one.
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