Jackson Co. couple remembered by fellow church members

FLOWERY BRANCH - Worshippers gathered for services at Chestnut Mountain Church took time to think about church members David and Carolina Bellino, who suffered back injuries in a plane crash in Colombia.

A LaGrange, Ga. couple on the same flight, Don and Cathy Henderson, also remained in Colombia for treatment.

The Bellinos live in Jackson County. They and the Hendersons were among 130 people who survived when the plane crashed while preparing to land Monday in a storm on San Andres, an island off the coast of Colombia. One person died.

Tim Tipton, pastor of administration at the church in Chestnut Mountain, near Flowery Branch in Hall County, told the congregation Wednesday night that both Bellinos suffered vertebrae fractures and were expected to undergo surgery at a Bogota hospital.

``It must have been the impact of the plane and the stress on their bodies when it hit that has caused them both to have the same exact injury,'' Tipton said.

Carolina Bellino, who leads the church's girls dance team, is about seven weeks pregnant. ``I want to let each of you little girls who work with Miss Carolina each week know that she is doing great,'' Tipton told her team members. ``Her baby is doing great.''

Hours after the crash, Cathy Henderson called family members.

``They were lucky. It was a traumatic experience, but they were just praising the Lord that it wasn't a whole lot worse,'' said Carolyn Hill, Don Henderson's sister.

Family members said Don Henderson originally reported their injuries as cuts and bruises.

On Tuesday, the family received a call from the U.S. Embassy in Colombia that both Hendersons had been admitted to a hospital in Bogota. Family members said Cathy Henderson had a wrist injury and doctors were examining Don Henderson's kidneys and checking out his rib and shoulder pains.

The couple had traveled to the island for a two-week vacation, celebrating Cathy Henderson's retirement from teaching in Gwinnett County. The couple are both retired teachers who moved to LaGrange, Don Henderson's hometown, about 18 months ago.