A Coast Guard Station Marathon boat crew and a good Samaritan rescued three people from a plane crash on Dec. 29 about 10 miles north of the Marathon International Airport.
The airplane plunged into the water last Wednesday afternoon after turning around merely 15 miles into its trip from Marathon to Tampa.
USCG Sector Key West received a notification around 4:30 p.m. regarding a downed Cessna 210 aircraft near the Marathon International Airport. A Station Marathon Special Purpose Craft boat crew eventually arrived to find that a good Samaritan had already found and rescued all three of the occupants from the partially sunken plane.
The Coast Guard crew embarked the survivors and transported them ashore to emergency medical services, where they were evaluated for their minor injuries.
“Thank you to the good Samaritan for arriving on scene and recovering the three survivors,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Paul Altieri, a duty watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Key West. “Their quick response undoubtedly played a tremendous role in this rescue.”
A commercial salvage company was contracted to salvage the submerged aircraft, and the plane was eventually lifted from the water at the Quay boat ramp in Marathon on the evening of Dec. 30.
