CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team captured the moment Thursday when an air ambulance brought a Cleveland police officer back home after a paragliding accident in Utah left her critically hurt.
A plane touched down in Akron with Officer Ashley Schut and her husband.
She just spent weeks in a hospital in Utah and now she will continue her recovery at a local rehab center. The accident nearly left her paralyzed.
Gabe Schut spoke of seeing the runway coming back home.
“Oh my gosh, I think both of us got teary-eyed,” he said.
Cleveland police and Akron police turned out to give Ashley an escort to a Northeast Ohio rehab facility. Jet ICU brought her back at no charge.
Last month, police say a hang glider hit a paraglider carrying Ashley and an instructor. One man died.
The 911 recordings show Ashley’s husband comforting her immediately after the crash.
As a witness spoke to dispatch, you can hear Gabe Schut saying, “I’m right here, Ashley,” and, “OK, Ashley, I’m right here.”
Thursday, he also spoke about that, saying, “It was God’s plan for us that I was there. We have a bond now after going through something like this.”
The recovery is far from over, but doctors expect a full recovery.
“Ashley’s very strong, very strong. People who know her know her faith is what got us through this journey,” Gabe said.
Ashley Schut works as a Cleveland police detective, handling cases involving violent crime. Lately, she has been assigned to the southeast side, which is one of the city’s most violent sections. Her goal, we’re told, is to recover and get back to helping to protect you.
At the arrival of the plane, Cleveland Police Sgt. Freddy Diaz said, “Everyone knows law enforcement is a brotherhood and sisterhood. So we had to show our support.”
The family has expressed gratitude for all of the prayers and support and donations. We even saw Ashley’s dog Kenzie at the airport to greet her.
This survival story is just beginning.
“She really feels like she turned the corner. She’s starting to see that she’s going to make it back,” Gabe Schut said.
The FAA is investigating the accident in the air.
