News 6 at 6 -- 10/16/18

Michael death toll in Florida rises to 16; plane rescue in Daytona Beach

Beach patrol personnel rescued two people from a plane that crashed into the ocean in Daytona Beach and in Brevard County officials are testing for possible red tide. Those stories and more are Tuesday's top local trending topics.

Here's a recap of Tuesday's local and national headlines as seen on News 6: 


Hurricane Michael death toll in Florida rises to 16

Officials say 16 people died in Florida because of Hurricane Michael, doubling the numbers of deaths in the state had previously attributed to last week's storm.

Officials say 12 of the deaths occurred in Bay County, a seaside county which took a direct hit from the storm.

Follow the latest Hurricane Michael updates here.


Plane rescue in Daytona Beach

News 6 helicopter Sky 6 was over the scene Tuesday in Daytona Beach when a small plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Lifeguards pulled one person from the wreckage and onto the shore.

Rewatch the rescue here and read what we've learned about the crash.


New Disney pricing system

Walt Disney World's new date-based ticket pricing system went into effect Tuesday. The prices fluctuate based on how busy the park generally is on that date, meaning busier days have higher prices.

Disney officials said this new system will allow them to better disperse attendance throughout the year.

Here's what you need to know about Disney's new date-based ticket prices.


Late-night Atlas V launch

The most powerful version of United Launch Alliance's workhorse rocket is scheduled to launch a U.S. Air Force satellite overnight Wednesday from Cape Canaveral. Weather conditions will not be a major concern for the two-hour window open at 12:15 a.m. The launch marks the final East Coast ULA liftoff this year.

Learn more about the U.S. Air Force payload onboard the Atlas V here.


Mexico Beach houses stands among wreckage

Amid the incredible destruction left by Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida one home stood high on stilts above the wreckage, appearing largely untouched and gleaming in the sun. The home, known as the Sand Palace, is a three-story vacation rental and its owners say it's no coincidence the place survived -- they designed it to do just that. Find out what went into constructing this Category 4-proof home.


Could red tide be in Brevard County?

Brevard County officials are collecting water samples from six beaches looking for signs of red tide. There have been reports of dead fish and respiratory issues in the area, commonly linked to red tide.

Red tide closed hundreds of miles of beaches this year on the Gulf Coast and in South Florida.


Orlando woman inspires through Instagram

 At 15, Rachel Denton began to experience joint pain and weakness in her muscles. She was diagnosed almost 10 years later with a condition known as POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

She shares her words of hope and inspiration to thousands on Instagram, where her followers have also become part of her support system. 

Denton and her service dog, Mozart recently became cast members at Disney.


NASA astronaut says mission abort 'was one wild ride'

NASA Astronaut Nick Hague arrived back in Houston and answered questions from the media at NASA's Johnson Space Center about the Russian rocket failure and emergency abort. 

Hague described being reunited with his wife and sons after the emergency landing, and what he and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin went through when the Soyuz spacecraft violently jolted side to side, with alarms in the spacecraft going off and a warning light coming on reading "booster failure."
Read more highlights from his account and rewatch the interviews here.


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