Emergency crews scrambled to rescue two passengers of a seaplane that crashed into New York's East River. According to The Sheffield Press, the wild incident happened on the morning of Saturday, June 13.
The Fire Department of New York confirmed they launched a response to the crash at around 9:30 am local time. The incident occurred near the Throggs Neck Bridge and Whitestone in Queens.
Fire officials explained that the pilot and a passenger were safely rescued. However, it was a private boat that rescued them—it managed to make its way to the crash site before emergency crews could.
The police explained that the plane was resting in the water before its takeoff. It had just started its engine when a large wave struck a wing, causing it to take on water.
The wave also caused the windshield to crack, according to AOL.
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The Pilot of the Plane Was Later Identified
According to AOL, the pilot was later identified as Giuseppe "Joe" Oppedisano, and the passenger as 76-year-old Jose Urena. Oppedisano explained that neither of them was really injured in the shocking incident.
The pilot seemed to downplay the incident somewhat. "I was taking off and I hit a big wave and the windshield cracked open—and it took on water. That's it, everything is fine."
Urena said that "the wave broke the window and we got out." He added that "there was a boat passing by, and they called the Fire Department."
According to Urena, they were only in the water "for a minute and a half to two minutes" before they ended up getting rescued.
Oppedisano said that the only real injury he got was a "little scratch" on his arm from the broken glass. He said that they avoided any serious injuries or complications from the water because they had life jackets.
And for his sake, it hasn't dampened his resolve when it comes to flying. He said, "Of course, I'm still going to be flying. This was a freak accident."
We're glad both men were okay. Things could have gone a whole lot worse.
