A 55-foot pleasure yacht became a rescue ship off Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., last Saturday when a Piper Navajo was successfully ditched in the Atlantic about six miles from shore. The Spindrift was able to rescue all six people aboard, including an eight-month-old baby. The plane was on a flight from the Bahamas to Ft. Lauderdale when the pilot radioed a distress call, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told The Associated Press. Walter Long, a captain on the yacht, said the unidentified pilot did “a great job” on the ditching. “He made a perfect water landing,” said Long. “If it wasn’t for him, they’d all be dead.” The extent of any injuries to the aircraft occupants wasn’t known. The yacht delivered them to a Coast Guard station. The plane sank in about 1,000 feet of water.
Yacht Rescues Ditching Victims
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper Navajo, en route from the Bahamas, successfully ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off Ft. Lauderdale.
- All six occupants, including an 8-month-old baby, were rescued by a pleasure yacht named Spindrift.
- The Spindrift delivered the survivors to a Coast Guard station after the plane sank in 1,000 feet of water.
- The pilot was highly praised for performing a "perfect water landing," which was credited with saving everyone on board.
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