The skies above the tranquil waters of Georgia and South Carolina became scenes of unexpected drama this week as two separate incidents saw small planes descend into the marshy embrace of the Little Black River. The U.S. Coast Guard proved their mettle yet again, executing timely rescues of the involved passengers in both instances, reaffirming the relentless commitment of these maritime sentinels.
In Georgia, a routine day turned into a rescue operation when a small plane was reported down last Saturday. The Coast Guard, responding to a distress call, coordinated with Savannah Airport Air Traffic Control Center to locate the downed aircraft nestled in the marshes. According to FOX5 Atlanta, Lt. Cmdr. Jon Sapundjieff of Coast Guard Air Station Savannah stated, “After arriving on the scene, we quickly located and deployed our rescue swimmer to the downed aircraft to assess the pilot’s condition.” Both individuals aboard were rescued and brought to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport unharmed.
The very next day in South Carolina, history nearly repeated itself. A small plane met a similar fate, plunging into the marshy surrounds of the same river. This time, the Coast Guard’s prompt action involved dispatching a rescue swimmer, who confirmed that neither the pilot nor the passenger had sustained injuries in the crash. The pair were hoisted to safety by helicopter, as mentioned in a report by ABC11…