The lone pilot of a small plane that crashed into Beards Creek in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, has been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, local authorities said Monday.
Civilian kayakers immediately went out to the plane after it crashed Monday morning to rescue any passengers, but the only person on the plane was the pilot, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. The kayakers, who ventured out on the water despite freezing temperatures, returned from the creek safely.
DEATH TOLL FROM WINTER STORM REACHES 50 AMID FREEZING TEMPERATURES: REPORT
2nd U/D A.A. County – Edgewater – ***AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY*** Lee Airport – 141 Maryland Ave – Plane missed runway and went in the water – Pilot rescued and reports HE WAS THE ONLY ONE in the plane – FD assisting civilian kayakers who went out to assist. pic.twitter.com/Hz5v2cVOs4
— Christopher Olson (@COlson2848) December 26, 2022
State police are handling the investigation into the crash, but a good samaritan who rescued the pilot claimed that it was clear there was a problem with the plane.
“When we all looked, we knew there was a problem,” John Gelinne, the rescuer, told CBS News. “He was heading at us kinda badly, and then he banged hard left.”
Gelinne, a Navy veteran, said he knew hypothermia would be a problem if he did not snap into action right away, so he and his son immediately grabbed kayaks and headed on to the creek. Gelinne threw a life vest to the pilot, pulled him out of the water, and waited until rescue arrived.
Plane Crash Update: The Pilot is being transported to AAMC with non-life threatening injuries. Fire Dept personnel are assisting several kayakers with warming. Great job by all who responded! pic.twitter.com/P3zrck9Oj3
— Anne Arundel County Fire Department (@AACoFD) December 26, 2022
“We’re just very thankful that those two kayakers were there and [the] heroic efforts that they did to make that rescue,” Anne Arundel County Fire Department Lt. Jennifer Macallair told the outlet. “They probably saved that pilot’s life today.”
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The fire department assisted Gelinne and his son with warming up after they got out of the water. The pilot was evaluated by medics and then transported to the Anne Arundel Medical Center. No cause of the crash has been released, but the pilot told Gelinne that he was losing his engine when the plane went down.
The name of the pilot has not been released.
