There were no injuries reported after a small plane landed in the water near the Dames Point Bridge Saturday, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Firefighters said that crews responded to reports of a plane in the water near the Mill Cove area. The lone occupant of the plane was picked up by a good samaritan and has no reported injuries, JFRD said.
First Coast News spoke to a witness from the scene.
"When I heard the plane, I just caught [the pilot] out of the corner of my eye," said witness Tanner Wilson. Wilson said he was fishing when the crash happened.
"And I saw him come under the powerlines and bump the water with his wheels nad come back up and then land it," he said.
The pilot had just narrowly missed powerlines east of the Dames Point Bridge.
Charter captains came to his rescue soon after.
"He was just standing on the wing of his airplane, just looking around," Wilson said.
The Florida Aviation Authority released the following message regarding the incident.
A Piper PA-28 landed in a marsh two miles north of Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport in Florida about 10:13 a.m. today. The aircraft, which departed from Jacksonville Executive Airport, reportedly experienced an engine-related problem. Check with local authorities on the condition of the pilot, the only person aboard. The FAA will investigate.
Wilson said the incident could have been worse.
"[The pilot] was able to keep it from just diving straight into the water," Wilson said. "And he also didn't stay too high up where he could clip the powerlines, so he kind of just threaded the needle."