LaGuardia collision survivors on escape and helping other passengers: "I'm a walking miracle"

CBS News
March 26, 2026
3 min read

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Air Canada passengers helped evacuate from plane that collided with fire-rescue truck at LaGuardia Airport.

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Two Air Canada passengers, Rebecca Liquori and Rachel Mariotti, manually opened an emergency exit door on their plane after it collided with a fire-rescue truck at LaGuardia Airport, enabling evacuations during the incident. The pair worked together during the emergency and subsequently helped guide other passengers off the aircraft, demonstrating quick thinking in a high-stress situation. Their actions underscore the critical role ordinary passengers can play in aviation emergencies when trained crew members may be occupied or incapacitated. Liquori, describing herself as "a walking miracle," told CBS Mornings the two held on to each other throughout the ordeal as they processed what was happening around them. The collision between the aircraft and the ground vehicle raised immediate questions about airport safety protocols and coordination between planes and emergency vehicles at one of the nation's busiest airports.

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