Earlier this semester, former University Chancellor Sean O’Keefe and his son Kevin were among four survivors of an Alaskan plane crash that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and four others near Dillingham, Alaska.
O’Keefe and Stevens were among nine passengers on a single-engine plane that Alaskan search and rescue officials say went down Aug. 9 around 7 p.m., amid rough weather and poor visibility. When the plane was reported overdue, “good samaritan” private aircraft went searching for it, but harsh weather prevented rescuers from reaching the crash site until early the next morning.
Rescue crews struggled against the weather conditions to reach the remote crash site, leading to several hours of uncertainty concerning the fate of the passengers. O’Keefe suffered a broken pelvis, fractured neck and a severely broken ankle.
In late August, O’Keefe was transported from an Anchorage hospital to a hospital in the Washington, D.C., area, according to the “Sean and Kevin O’Keefe Recovery” Facebook page.
“Sean has left Alaska and has returned to the lower 48,” said an Aug. 26 post from Paul Pastorek, the family’s spokesman. “He continues to make steady improvement. We remain optimistic about his prospect for a complete recovery.”
On Oct. 18, O’Keefe returned to work for the first time, the page says, indicating he underwent “intensive rehabilitation” and continues to recover.
O’Keefe currently serves as the CEO of the American arm of European defense giant European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. He previously served as LSU Chancellor from 2005 to 2008 before resigning Jan. 16, 2008.
He was instrumental in initiating the Forever LSU fundraising campaign and the Flagship Agenda. Before that, he served as chief NASA administrator from December 2001 until February 2005.
“The LSU community is happy and relieved to learn that former Chancellor Sean O’Keefe and his son Kevin were found alive following their plane crash in Alaska,” current Chancellor Michael Martin said in a statement Aug. 10. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to everyone affected by this tragic event, and we send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those lost in the crash.”
Stevens, 86, was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate. He was narrowly defeated in his 2008 re-election bid after conviction of making false statements on financial forms. He was later acquitted because of prosecutorial misconduct.
“The randomness of this is just so unbelievable,” O’Keefe told the “Today” show Oct. 22. “Sen. Stevens was sitting right next to me. I’ll continue to wonder to my last breath.”
 
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Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]