A huge rescue operation was initiated after a light plane crashed into the water off the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, rescuing two men from a life raft.
At nine in the morning, there were reports that a Cessna light plane had lost an engine and the pilot had to perform a controlled ditching into the sea, approximately thirty nautical miles northeast of the Sunshine Coast. This prompted the dispatch of paramedics and two rescue helicopters.
The two men, ages 59 and 51, were in a life raft in the water when paramedics in the rescue aircraft winched them to safety, according to Queensland Ambulance.
Queensland Ambulance Flight Critical Care Paramedic Mick O’Brien stated, “We were able to lower down a rescue basket and singly extract both of those persons from the sea and into the aircraft because that life raft was slowly being submerged by water.”
Despite not being hurt, the two guys were brought to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for evaluation.
“In actuality, they weren’t too evil spirits. When we first circled, they were giving us the thumbs up and so on,” O’Brien remarked.
The Cessna aircraft is believed to have departed from Caloundra Airport and was headed for American Samoa.
According to O’Brien, the plane was overfueled, which prevented it from being able to sustain its height in the event that one of the engines failed.
When the plane landed in the water, according to O’Brien, the men weren’t flung around the cabin.
He continued by saying that the two felt fortunate to be alive and content.
Superbly amazing. An airplane accident rarely occurs when no one is hurt, the speaker stated.
