BOCA RATON, Fla. — A small-engine plane crash-landed in the water off Boca Raton Saturday, drawing stunned reactions from beachgoers and boaters who watched the scene unfold near South Beach Park at 250 South Ocean Blvd.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue said only one woman was aboard the aircraft. She was able to exit the plane on her own. Lifeguards brought her to shore, where she was taken to the hospital as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
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Brett Goorland, a tourist who had been snorkeling at nearby Red Reef Park, said he had a close-up view of the plane's final moments in the air.
"We looked down there was a school of snook, looked up, a plane came over us about 10 feet over us," Goorland said. "Bizarre site for sure."
Michael Arizzi and his wife were on a boat nearby when they noticed something was wrong. Arizzi said he works in aviation and has experience with aircraft maintenance.
"The plane got lower in front of Palmetto. I'm like wow that's really risky, before I noticed the plane go into a glide path," Arizzi said. "At first you go, oh it's not an emergency, it's not an emergency, and then all of a sudden the plane hits the water."
Arizzi credited the pilot for the safe outcome.
"That's kind of a flawless move for a pilot, is 'hey let me land in the water off the beach where there's lifeguards to help,' so that was an excellent move on the pilot and doing so in which it didn't put the public at risk," Arizzi said.
The plane remained in the water Saturday and is expected to stay until it is retrieved Sunday.
It is still unclear why the plane was forced to make an emergency landing on the water. Boca Raton Police said the FAA has taken over the investigation. The Coast Guard and Boca Raton Police are watching over the aircraft until it is removed.
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