A seaplane tipped over and partially sank in Orchard Lake on Monday afternoon, settling into the water near Apple Island as police investigated the incident. Two people were aboard the aircraft, and officials say neither was hurt in the incident.
The seaplane was spotted partially submerged near Apple Island around 1 p.m., according to ClickOnDetroit, which reported that police were investigating after the plane tipped in the lake. Police said the two people on board were not hurt, the station reported. CBS News Detroit reported that the Oakland County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the crash, and that deputies believed people aboard a nearby boat assisted the two occupants of the plane.
Authorities dispatched the Oakland County Search and Rescue Team to the area, per the CBS Detroit report, and deputies asked people to avoid the boat launch in the area while crews worked. Authorities also said they planned to recover the plane from the water, according to the same report. Deputies said the people aboard the plane were not injured.
A Lake Known for Boat Traffic and Tight Quarters
Orchard Lake spans roughly 790 acres and wraps around Apple Island. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources operates a public boat launch off Orchard Lake Road, north of Pontiac Trail, according to CBS Detroit's reporting, one of the access points deputies asked the public to steer clear of Monday.
It is not the first time a floatplane has run into trouble on the waterways near Apple Island. In August 2019, a seaplane attempting to land on nearby Upper Straits Lake struck three pontoon boats, according to the Detroit Free Press. That crash left the pilot and some boat passengers injured, the newspaper reported at the time.
Pattern of Water Incidents on Orchard Lake
Boating mishaps on Orchard Lake itself are not unheard of either. In April 2024, deputies responded to two separate boating accidents on the lake in a single Saturday, according to The Oakland Press. One involved a sailboat incident in which no injuries were reported, the sheriff's office told the paper, while the other saw two 30-year-old men land in the water after their catamaran overturned; deputies helped the men out of the lake and righted the boat, per the same account.
Monday's seaplane incident adds to that record of close calls on and around Orchard Lake, though officials have not said what led the aircraft to tip over this time. For now, both people aboard are safe, and plans were underway to recover the plane from the water.
