Small plane crashes into Beards Creek near Edgewater, kayakers rescue pilot - WTOP

1 year ago 48

Kayakers rescued the aviator of a crashed level sinking into icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay adjacent Edgewater, Maryland Monday morning, according to Maryland State Police.

Steve Couchman, 71, flew his level into Beards Creek conscionable aft taking disconnected from Lee Airport astir 10:30 a.m. Monday. His motor “began sputtering” soon aft getting airborne, Maryland State Police said.

Couchman was the lone idiosyncratic successful the plane.

Shortly aft the crash, 2 civilians and an Anne Arundel County constabulary serviceman kayaked toward the sinking level to rescue Couchman, who had since exited the cockpit. Couchman stood connected the planes wings arsenic the kayakers “skim[med]” crossed the frozen Beards Creek.

Eventually, the kayakers reached Couchman and kept him afloat arsenic the level fell beneath the water.

Within 10 minutes of the crash, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department arrived successful a rescue vessel and took the aviator to the hospital, according to the occurrence department.

Anne Arundel County Fire Department Lieutenant Jennifer Macallair said the kayakers acted “heroically” and apt prevention Couchman’s life. With the h2o somesthesia astatine 30° Fahrenheit, Macallair noted that it lone takes minutes for hypothermia to acceptable in.

Coachman is expected retrieve from his injuries.

Plane Crash Update: The Pilot is being transported to AAMC with non-life threatening injuries. Fire Dept unit are assisting respective kayakers with warming. Great occupation by each who responded! pic.twitter.com/P3zrck9Oj3

— Anne Arundel County Fire Department (@AACoFD) December 26, 2022

Fire crews are besides helped the good-Samaritan kayakers who paddled retired to the crashed level to assistance the pilot.

Here’s the determination of the crash:

WTOP’s Veronica Canales contributed to this report.

Luke Garrett

Luke Garrett is simply a D.C. autochthonal dedicated to journalism. He is the co-creator, big and shaper of the archetypal WTOP podcast, “Is It Normal Yet?!” The podcast debuted successful 2021 and takes a play look astatine however the D.C. portion is dealing with coronavirus.

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