A small aircraft made an emergency water landing off the coast of Oak Island, North Carolina on Saturday evening, with the pilot escaping serious injury, according to local officials.
The incident occurred around 7:33 p.m. near the Oak Island Pier at 705 Ocean Drive, when a single-engine Jabiru J230-D (tail number N784J) crashed into the ocean, the town of Oak Island said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The pilot, the sole occupant, was rescued within minutes by Oak Island’s Beach Safety Unit, which was already in the area responding to an earlier water emergency. A witness photo showed a lifeguard and a person in a lifejacket clinging to the mostly submerged plane.
Emergency responders used watercraft to reach the downed aircraft and safely retrieve the pilot, who was treated on shore for non-life-threatening injuries.
The aircraft was later recovered and towed from the water Saturday night.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investigating the incident. Responding agencies included the Southport Fire Department, Caswell Beach Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, and Brunswick County EMS.
