A 71-year-old man was saved from Beards Creek post the incident when a small plane crashed into the water. Officials said the event happened when the plane moved ahead to take off from Lee airport. John Gelinne had used a kayak alongside a shovel to cross the ice and, thus, rescue the pilot from the frozen waters. Steve Couchman of Frederick, the pilot in the plane, went to Anne Arundel Medical centre to get through his injuries. However, none of his injuries was life-threatening. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department and Maryland State Police arrived at the scene to take through it!

• Kayakers, alongside the agencies, came to Couchman’s rescue
• None of the kayakers who were involved in this incident was injured
• Non-life-threatening injuries to the pilot

Kayakers assisted Couchman’s rescue

Both the agencies had helped the kayakers to rescue Couchman, and he was finally brought back to the shore safely. A Maryland State Police agency was investigating the incident in which the plane’s engine started to sputter shortly after takeoff and crashed into the icy water. Two local people, joined by an Anne Arundel County Police officer, skimmed across the ice to save him.

Plane Crash Update: The Pilot is being transported to AAMC with non-life threatening injuries. Fire Dept personnel are assisting several kayakers with warming. Great job by all who responded! pic.twitter.com/P3zrck9Oj3

— Anne Arundel County Fire Department (@AACoFD) December 26, 2022

John Gelinne rescued the pilot in the crash.

John Gelinne and his son saw the plane bank hard, leaving unusually. Gelinne thus grabbed his kayak and used a shovel to paddle through the ice to that of the aircraft. The pilot stood in the water to his shoulders, Gelinne said. He added, “That was the hard part because it was heavy, and I had difficulty getting the kayak out of the water.” He said, “At that point, I just talked to him.”

Maryland News

References:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/anne-arundel/bs-md-ar-plane-crash-lee-airport-edgewater-20221226-yflchdu55je6xcdps4e7mrmqty-story.html
https://www.wbaltv.com/amp/article/small-plane-down-lee-airport-edgewater-beards-creek/42339639