Brianna Simeon, left, paddles out on Wilson Lake with a roof rake on Tuesday, Dec. 26, in the hopes to get close enough to rescue her son’s remote controlled airplane. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
WILTON — As a parent, a lot of hard work goes into getting your children’s gifts ready for the holidays.
Amazon carts are filled and emptied, stockings are stuffed, credit cards are abused and a lot of hours are spent in long lines, eventually leading to the picturesque moment when wrapping paper is ripped open and the gifts you’ve been anxiously waiting for them to see are finally revealed. All the hours of hard work make the moment so meaningful for a parent, it’s almost indescribable.
Finding out that said gift found its way into a tree or is sitting atop the ice cover of a lake fifty feet from shore awakens an entirely different set of feelings, which are perfectly describable.
Brianna Simeon found herself in that very position when her 12 year-old son Carter Simeon managed to get his brand new remote controlled airplane struck not once, but twice.
The first occurrence happened on Monday, Dec. 25. The plane was a gift to Carter from his grandmother. Currently on break from Mt. Blue Middle School, Carter has a big interest in planes and aviation, with his recent focus being on World War II model airplanes.
A remote controlled plane sits atop the ice cover on Wilson Lake after getting stuck on Tuesday, Dec. 26. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
With his new gift in hand, Carter took to the skies and let his plane fly at Kineowatha Park, but the plane soon found itself stuck in one of the trees by the entrance way.
With the help of Wilton Fire and Rescue, as well as the Wilton Police Department, Carter had his plane back in his hands and was ready to fly once again.
Carter Simeon, left, and Wilton Police Officer Brian Lynch watch as Wilton Fire and Rescue work to save Simeon’s plane on Monday, Dec. 25. A gift from his Grandmother, Simeon has a big fascination with planes, specifically WWII model planes. Submitted Photo
His flight would be delayed, however, when on Tuesday, Dec. 26, his plane landed on the ice cover of Wilson Lake roughly 50 feet from the shoreline. With half of the lake starting to freeze over, the ice foundation on top of Wilson Lake bought the boy and his parents some time to find ways to snag it.
The Franklin Journal was nearby when Simeon and her son arrived with a roof rake stretching 25 ft. that barely made it halfway to its destination.
“I have been trying since about 11 in the morning,” she said.
With the roof rake unsuccessful, Simeon returned home to grab her kayak to see if she could break the ice and get to the plane that way. Unwilling to bother the fire department again, she was determined to rescue the plane by her own means.
The ice proved too thick, unfortunately, and after a valiant attempt to break her way through, Simeon was forced back to the shore. By then, her husband Luis Simeon had arrived to see what he could offer the situation. Searching through his truck, Luis pulled out a couple of fishing rods and tried to see if he could snag the plane from the shore.
The remote controlled plane sits in a tree at Kineowatha Park on Tuesday, Dec. 25, waiting to be rescued. Belonging to Carter Simeon, the plane was retrieved by the Wilton Fire and Rescue. Submitted Photo
After trying with two fishing poles came up short, it was time to pack it in and call it a day.
On Wednesday, Dec. 27, Brianna shared an update with The Franklin Journal, telling that the plane was still trapped atop the ice. The first attempt at dislodging it with a remote controlled car proved unsuccessful due to the ice being too slippery to get any traction.
After Hulu hoops with rope tied to them also yielded no results, Simeon said it was back to the drawing board. She hopes to find a way to rescue the plane before snow and rainfall could potentially bury, and eventually sink, the plane.
Simeon asked if any local residents are able to retrieve the plane, to please contact her at [702] 612-3680.
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