4 Rescued After Plane Crashes Into Sea
Four people were rescued from the waters off Rancho Palos Verdes on Sunday after their light airplane crashed into the sea, the Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol said.
The crew of a charter whale-watching boat pulled the four victims from the water minutes after the single-engine Bellanca aircraft crashed about 3:50 p.m., said Harbor Patrol spokesman Officer Kevin McCamy.
The victims--two men, a woman and a 12-year-old girl--were treated for minor cuts and bruises at South Bay Hospital and released, McCamy said. They were not identified.
McCamy said the four-seat plane, which was returning to Santa Monica from Santa Catalina Island, went down after its fuel pump and a back-up pump both malfunctioned.
“Fortunately, the plane landed on its belly,” McCamy said. “They got a relatively good landing. They were able to gather their things and get into the water.”
After the victims discovered that the plane was temporarily buoyant, McCamy said, they scrambled out of the water and onto the wings of the aircraft.
Moments later, the crew of the whale-watching vessel Voyager arrived and helped the stranded foursome aboard. McCamy said the aircraft sank shortly after the rescue.
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