A father and his son were rescued Sunday afternoon after their small aircraft made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. The plane, a 1974 Mooney M20F, came down approximately 25 yards from Honeymoon Island State Park.
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene around 12:38 p.m. According to Deputy Geoff Moore, the pilot managed to land the plane safely, and neither occupant sustained injuries. "Neither subject was injured, and both were able to walk to shore," Moore stated.
The father, who owns the aircraft, confirmed that his son, a minor, was unharmed. He reported a minor scratch on his hand as the only injury sustained during the emergency landing.
Authorities attributed the successful emergency landing to engine trouble. Moore noted that the pilot's skill was evident, calling it "a very impressive feat that no one was injured."
Witnesses on the shore described the event unfolding rapidly. Beachgoer Beth Ann Bologna, who was in the water at the time, saw the plane descending. "I was in my little blue noodle, and the next thing you know, we look down there and I go, 'That's a plane,'" Bologna told WFLA. She added that the aircraft's descent sounded like "boom, boom boom" before it landed.
Another witness, jet-ski rider Lukas Gendron, was about 100 feet away when the plane landed and immediately went to assist. "It's all about making sure people are fine, especially when it comes to something so serious like this," Gendron said.
Following the landing, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office dive team observed a small fuel leak into the water. The Dunedin Fire Department monitored the leak, stating it did not appear to be a concern at that time. The aircraft was later recovered from the water.
