A pilot was rescued after crashing a small plane into the Florida Everglades on Tuesday.
The pilot, the only person on board the plane, scrambled up onto the wing of the Cessna 172M aircraft, as the rest of the plane sank into the swamp.
He waited for hours before being airlifted to safety by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Broward County Sheriff Fire Rescue said on social media.
Authorities did not identify the man, who they said suffered a leg injury as a result of the crash.
“To be able to seemingly walk away with just a leg injury after putting an aircraft down in the Everglades with the thick brush is an amazing feat in itself. We’re very grateful that he’s OK,” BSFR Battalion Chief Michael Kane told WPLG-TV.
The crash occurred at around 2:20 a.m. The plane came to rest in the Everglades about 7 miles west of Miramar, Florida, said the Federal Aviation Administration.
The nearest building to the crash site, Mack’s Fish Camp One in Miami Lakes, was miles away. The phone and radio aboard the plane were probably submerged, Mr. Kane said.
“The area of the aircraft is in a very isolated area of the Everglades with access by only specialized assets,” he told the Miami Herald.
The plane is believed to have come from a Miami-Dade County flight school.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
