Dec 14, 2007 6:31 pm US/Eastern
Couple Escaped Injuries When Plane Crashed At Sea
MARATHON (CBS4) ―
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A small plane crash off of Marathon in the Florida Keys. The plane is nose down in the water.
CBS
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Two people in the water in life vests after a small plane crashes into the water off Marathon.
CBS
A small plane crashed in the waters off the Florida Keys on Thursday, and CBS4's Chopper 4 crew were the first to offer the survivors help after stumbling upon the scene while covering other unrelated news.
A single-engine plane crashed in the sea five miles off Marathon. U.S. Coast Guard's William Hillyer said, "I've been at it for 13 years. It's nice to be able to do my job, and once we arrived, it was nice to have the NEWS4 chopper vector us in."
Richard and Theadora Ramsay escaped without serious injuries and were found floating near the wreckage and rescued by the Coast Guard. Paramedics took them to Fishermen's Hospital in Marathon, where they have since been released and recovering at home.
Chris O'Neil, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said "A good Samaritan called us about the accident. We're not sure if that person witnessed the accident or just came upon it."
Lisa Littlefield says the the Ramsays are avid fliers and they taught her how to fly. "He's a textbook example of how you do that and you survive it," said Littlefield.
CBS4 photojournalist Tony Jerez aboard Chopper4 circled the survivors pinpointing their location for rescue officials. Tony Jerez dropped inflatable life vests at the crew while Coast Guard rescuers arrived.
Despite all he did, Jerez is taking a humble approach.
"It was just what I hope anybody would do for me if we had a problem," said Jerez. "We were just at the wrong place at the right time."
The small commuter plane with the TAG of N801 had just taken off from Marathon Airport when it cashed in the water fives miles from shore.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating the crash.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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