Female pilot lands light aircraft in ocean near Florida beach — NDTV World
Twenty-three-year-old pilot Faith Tankley made an emergency landing of a single-engine aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean near South Beach Park in Boca Raton, Florida. According to NDTV World, she was not injured.
Emergency landing near the coast
The incident occurred on Saturday in front of beachgoers. According to the publication, the aircraft developed engine trouble, forcing the pilot to land it on the water.
Video shared on social media shows the aircraft gradually descending over the beach, avoiding buildings and people. Eyewitness Maria Marks told WPBF that she was applying sunscreen to her child when she noticed the plane in the sky and wondered whether it was “supposed to be like that.”
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Assistance after the water landing
After landing, Tankley exited the aircraft. Within minutes, local residents, rescuers and emergency services reached her and helped her in the water. Emergency services examined the pilot at the scene and confirmed that she was not injured.
According to NDTV World, Tankley departed Fort Myers in her family’s Piper PA30 aircraft and planned to fly about 150 miles to pick up her parents in the Bahamas. Local authorities noted her quick response and the fact that she directed the aircraft away from crowded sections of the beach, which officials said helped avoid casualties on the ground.
Tankley later told journalist Peter Busch that social media had circulated an incorrect version involving a male pilot and a female surfer who allegedly rescued him. According to Busch, the pilot was wearing a long skirt over her swimsuit and removed it to swim to shore.
