9-hour struggle in the Everglades: Pilot rescued from crash site

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LOS ANGELES, Nov 1, (Agencies): A pilot’s harrowing ordeal in the Florida Everglades ended with his dramatic rescue. On a fateful Tuesday morning, a small plane crashed in the heart of the Everglades, prompting a swift response from authorities.

Around 10:20 am local time, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received a mutual call for assistance from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office regarding reports of a downed small plane near Mack’s Fish Camp, situated at 18599 Krome Ave in Southwest Broward.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), spearheading the investigation, identified the aircraft as a Cessna 172. Preliminary details indicated that the plane had crashed onto a levee shortly after 10 a.m. local time. Remarkably, the pilot was the sole occupant.

Tragically, the plane had gone down at approximately 2:20 am, leaving the pilot stranded for approximately nine hours in the remote and challenging Everglades terrain. Aerial footage captured by NBC affiliate WTVJ-TV showed the pilot perched on a wing of the aircraft, awaiting rescue.

In a commendable display of bravery and efficiency, a helicopter from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue conducted a daring rescue mission. They noted the difficulty of the remote location and the challenging terrain. The Air Rescue North (ARN) team arrived on the scene to execute a hoist operation, successfully retrieving the patient from the downed aircraft. The pilot was then airlifted to a local hospital in Broward County for medical attention.

Remarkably, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Chief Michael Kane highlighted the pilot’s fortune, as he sustained only minor injuries in the crash. Kane expressed his admiration for the pilot’s ability to walk away from an aircraft accident in the Everglades, a dense and challenging environment, with just a leg injury, emphasizing his gratitude for the pilot’s safety.

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