A pilot has been taken to hospital for treatment after his aircraft plunged into the sea in front of shocked beachgoers. Emergency services were called to the scene in Porthcawl, Wales, shortly after 9am on Tuesday, June 13.
One onlooker told how she believed the plane ‘flipped while landing’ before crashing into the water. Michelle Harris, of Mint Hairdressing in Porthcawl, told WalesOnline: “I don’t know whether it was engine failure or petrol or something else but I know that the plane flipped as it was landing.
“We’re just across from it so we could see all the drama. There was only one person in the plane and the guy was being cut out of it by the fire brigade when I went over. The water was only waist high so he’s very lucky.
“He's got a few cuts and scratches and he looks a bit shaken but he’s fine thankfully. The place was full of ambulances, fire engines, you name it.”
Passerby James Brown spotted the red plane overturned with its propeller in the water. He said: "A plane has crash landed on the shore near Porthcawl Pavilion.
"I watched it coming low over the common and then the engine started spluttering and this is the result." Another witness Jamie Lewis said: "It is a miracle that no-one was hit by the plane and that the pilot managed to get out. He's a lucky bloke."
The Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed that one person has been taken to hospital. In a statement, they said: “We were called today shortly before 9:30am to reports of an incident near the Seabank Hotel in Porthcawl.
“We sent one emergency ambulance and a duty operational manager to the scene, where we were supported by our Hazardous Area Response Team and the Coastguard. One person was taken to Princess of Wales Hospital for further treatment.”
A statement from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service added: “At approximately 9:19am on Tuesday we received reports of an airplane crash offshore in Porthcawl. Crews from Bridgend and Porthcawl Fire Stations were in attendance alongside other emergency services colleagues.
“A single engine airplane crashed approximately 50 metres offshore and the pilot was left in the care of Welsh Ambulance colleagues. A stop message was received at approximately 9:53am.”
And Chris Page of the RNLI said: “RNLI volunteer crews never quite know what to expect when the call for help comes. We are trained to deal with every eventuality, but were incredibly relieved to arrive on scene to find the pilot was able to be safely recovered.
“This was a real multi-agency effort between the fire service, police, ambulance service, the Coastguard and the RNLI.”
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