[Archive 2014-11-13] Two-time plane crash survivor, Austin Hatch, scores first goal in college sports

Historical archive — originally published 2014-11-13. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Austin Hatch, 20, a survivor of two separate plane crashes, scored his first basket in college basketball on Monday night, for the University of Michigan.

The shot was his second of two free throw attempts. Media photos showed University of Michigan coach John Beilen congratulating Hatch.

Hatch survived a plane crash and eight-week coma in 2011, an accident that killed his father and step mother. Hatch had previously survived a separate crash in 2003, that killed his mother, brother and sister. Hatch's father was the pilot in both of those accidents.

Hatch, raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, moved in 2013 to his uncle's home in California. He committed verbally to play sports with the university in 2011, and formally signed an agreement in November 2013. Of the tragedies, Hatch told reporters, "Obviously, it's a big part of my life, but I'm about moving forward and making the most of my experience here."

Source and licence

Text adapted from Two-time plane crash survivor, Austin Hatch, scores first goal in college sports by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.