2 people, dog rescued after plane drops into Quinnipiac River
NEW HAVEN — A man, woman and a dog were rescued Thursday evening after a small plane dropped into the Quinnipiac River, according to officials.
Good Samaritans operating two boats in the marina saved the passengers from the water, according to New Haven’s Director of Emergency Operations, Rick Fontana.
The three’s trip originated in Wellington, Fla. They stopped in Woodbine, N.J. and were on their way to Massachusetts when the crash happened, Fontana said.
The plane’s passengers appeared to be uninjured and declined medical attention, according to Will Healey, a spokesperson for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Jonathan Perlich, the co-owner of the Quinnipiac Marina on Front Street, said he saw the plane land at 4:56 p.m.
“I’m glad no one got hurt,” Perlich said. The couple was able to stand in about 3 feet of water in mud flats among oyster beds.
The plane, a 1988 Beechcraft, landed just outside the channel near the Grand Avenue Bridge about 90 minutes before high tide, Fontana said.
At first, Perlich thought the aircraft was a seaplane.“He came in nice and easy,” he added of the way the pilot handled the aircraft.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the incident. Healey said the aircraft is intact and is on protected oyster beds. Authorities will use floating bags to move the plane from the oyster beds to a nearby dock where the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board can investigate.
Some 55 gallons of fuel are estimated to be on board the aircraft, and a small amount leaked from a breather vent, Healey added.
“At this time, environmental impact is deemed minimal,” he said. Authorities will use absorbent booms to soak up the oil.
City officials were gathered at the marina with the couple and their large dog Thursday evening.