Good Samaritan comes to the rescue after a small plane crashes off Florida Keys coast
A small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon into the water off the Florida Keys, according to the Coast Guard.
The single-engine, fixed wing plane went down in the Florida Bay about four nautical miles north off the Middle Keys city of Marathon shortly before 2:30 p.m., Petty Officer Ryan Estrada, Coast Guard spokesman said.
A good Samaritan in the area picked up the pilot, a man who has not been identified, as they waited for a Coast Guard crew from Marathon to pick him up. The pilot was the only person aboard and was taken ashore where paramedics evaluated him, officials said.
The Coast Guard is watching for any pollution from the plane and salvage workers are determining what to do with the wreckage.
“Massive thank you and a job well done to the good Samaritan that assisted in this rescue,” Petty Officer Second Class Timothy Worthen, a Coast Guard Station Marathon coxswain, said in a statement. “This individual’s life was saved due to their actions.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 3:14 PM.
