A pilot survived a dramatic crash landing into the icy waters of the Mississippi River this past Sunday, officials reported. A routine flight turned hazardous when a small float plane overturned on the river near Inver Grove Heights. A distress call heralded a rapid response from local emergency services, as they rushed to aid the aviator.
Authorities from the South Metro and Inver Grove Heights Fire Departments, alongside police and sheriffs, were dispatched to the scene after the incident, which occurred slightly after noon. Despite the initial alarm, the pilot managed to escape the wreckage unscathed. "The pilot... was able to get out of the plane and climb onto a wing until being rescued," Fox9 reported.
The ordeal took place just north of the River Grove Harbor, and a boon came from an anonymous boater who conveyed the pilot to safety at a nearby marina. The exact cause of the crash landing remains under investigation, with updates promised as facts surface. According to a responsible party within the emergency team, the retrieval of the stranded pilot was hindered by one unforeseen obstacle; many launches remained inaccessible, choked by river ice.
A social media post by the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department gave a succinct timeline, stating the small water plane flipped over on the river around 1:30 PM. "The pilot safely got out of the plane and got out on the aircraft wing while they waited for the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department to pick them up by boat," detailed the statement as found on a Limitless Production Group report. Transport to a nearby marina was provided and the pilot remained without report of injury following the harrowing event.
