A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew quickly came to the rescue and pulled two people from an airplane that crashed during a training session near Savannah over the weekend.
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The entire ordeal was caught on camera as well.
In a statement by the military branch, a Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircrew did the rescue on Saturday, Dec. 7, after a small aircraft went down in the marsh near the Little Black River.
The Little Black River is considered the border between South Carolina and Georgia.
“An Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin aircrew safely hoisted both people,” the statement reads. “And transported them to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport with no reported medical concerns.”
It was also revealed that the Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a notification at 4:08 p.m. from the Savannah Airport Air Traffic Control Center requesting support for the crashed aircraft.
“After arriving on the scene, we quickly located and deployed our rescue swimmer to the downed aircraft to assess the pilot’s condition,” Lt. Cmdr. Jon Sapundjieff, Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircraft commander, further explained.
Sapundjieff then added, “I appreciate the assistance from the tower controller and the airport crash crew at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport for making this case go smoothly.”
Along with the aircrew, a Chatham County Fire Department board crew also assisted in the rescue.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the crashed fixed-wing Piper PA-28-181 was from Averett University in Danville, Virginia.
Multiple media outlets reported that the aircraft was on a training flight out of the school when the instructor and student experienced “an autopilot” malfunction” during takeoff.
U.S. Coast Guard Forced To Suspend Search For Two Missing Boaters in Georgia Days Before Crashed Plane Rescue
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it was forced to suspend two missing boaters in Brunswick, Georgia, days before the crashed plane rescue.
The military branch issued a statement revealing it was to suspend search efforts for the boaters, identified as David Wickenden, 54, and Charles Andrade, 60. It was revealed that a mariner on the vessel Salty Intentions reported seeing a capsized 50-foot catamaran to Coast Guard watchstanders approximately 65 miles east of Brunswick, Georgia.
The U.S. Coast Guard shared that rescue crews searched by air and sea for approximately 77.45 hours. They also went more than 9,140 square miles, which is roughly the size of Vermont. Unfortunately, the boaters were not found.
“The decision to suspend a search is always difficult to make and never done lightly,” Cmdr. Jason Erickson, Coast Guard Sector Charleston search and rescue mission coordinator, shared.
“When we send our rescue crews out, it is with great hope we can bring people home safely,” Erickson added. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing boaters during this incredibly difficult time.”