Coast Guard rescues man from plane crash in the Savannah River

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A close call in the skies above Savannah, these radio communications show the moment the student pilot knew he wasn’t going to make it back to the airport.

“He realized early on that he was not making it back to the field and that the river was most likely where he was going to end up. He focused on doing what he was supposed to do,” Cameron Welicka, U.S COAST GUARD said.

Rescue teams from the U-S Coast Guard are praising the student pilot’s quick actions that helped him land his plane in the Savannah River.

Members from the Coast Guard say the Piper Cherokee plane suffered an engine failure after taking off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

Crews say others in the area saw the pilot standing on the plane’s wing before swimming over to the river bank which is when the Coast Guard air lifted him from the site.

The pilot was the only person onboard and did not suffer any serious injuries.

Rescuers say the pilot was calm after being rescued despite the crash.

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