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The incident took place on Seymour Lake in Vermont on Monday, July 20, at around 8:08 a.m. local time
NEED TO KNOW
- The pilot of a small plane has been rescued by boaters after crashing into Seymour Lake in Vermont on Monday, July 20, at around 8:08 a.m. local time
- The man, identified as 66-year-old James Gregory, called the police to inform them that local residents had used their personal boats to pull him out of the water
- Gregory, who was the sole occupant and was unharmed, said the plane crashed after a malfunction occurred during takeoff
The pilot of a small plane has been rescued by boaters in Vermont after crashing into Seymour Lake.
On Monday, July 20, the Vermont State Police stated in a release that they responded to a report that the plane had crashed on the lake near the town of Morgan at around 8:08 a.m. local time.
Shortly after officers responded to the incident alongside several other agencies, the pilot — identified as 66-year-old James Gregory — called the police to inform them that local residents had used their personal boats to pull him out of the water before bringing him to their home.
Gregory said that a malfunction occurred on the plane during takeoff from Seymour Lake, which resulted in the aircraft stalling and crashing “after becoming airborne,” per the police’s release.
The pilot was the only occupant on the plane and did not sustain any injuries, police said.
Shannon Anderson, who owns property on the shores of Seymour Lake, said it’s not uncommon to hear planes landing on the water.
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“I heard the plane crash. It was pretty loud. And then I could hear somebody hollering help,” Anderson told WCAX. “I could just see other boats. Another boat went and rescued the pilot.”
Anderson went on to say that she hoped the fuel tanks were not damaged “so that it’s not leaking.” ‘
In their statement, the police department identified the aircraft as a 2002 Rans S6 Coyote II, and added that “The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation was notified of the incident.”
While Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received reports of a sheen and fuel odor on the water, the pilot said the plane’s fuel tank was undamaged, according to WCAX.
The DEC said it’s the pilot’s responsibility to remove the plane, adding that they would monitor the removal of the aircraft to make sure it didn’t pollute the lake, the outlet reported.
The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing and has been taken over by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to the police.
PEOPLE reached out to the Vermont State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation for further comment.
Read the original article on People
