Florida

Police video shows dramatic water rescue after small plane crashes off Florida coast

A dramatic rescue went down on Monday morning off the coast of Florida and it was caught on police video.

According to a Facebook post from the Tampa Police Department, a small plane crashed into the water near Davis Island soon after taking off from Peter O. Knight Airport.

Aviation pilots captured the moment two people were plucked from Hillsborough Bay a little after 10 a.m.

The pilot and passenger were flying from Gainesville to Tampa when they experienced engine trouble, the agency said.

Footage shows one of the people, wearing a yellow life vest and cap, looking exhausted, grabbing an officer’s hand and trying to haul himself onto a police boat. Eventually, he makes his way onto the watercraft and collapses on his belly.

The camera then pans to the water where you can see the plane completely submerged.

The other person on board was rescued by a different police boat, the department said,

Tampa police also posted a picture of the aircraft being pulled from the water.

Madeleine Marr
Miami Herald
Celebrity/real time news reporter Madeleine Marr has been with The Miami Herald since 2003. She has covered such features as travel, fashion and food. In 2007, she helped launch the newspaper’s daily People Page, attending red carpet events, awards ceremonies and press junkets; interviewing some of the biggest names in show business; and hosting her own online show. She is originally from New York City.
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