Four rescued after plane lands in bay near St. Petersburg airport

An airplane with four people aboard landed in the waters of Tampa Bay on Wednesday afternoon, just beyond the runway of Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg.

The rescue operation that followed was a collaborative effort, according to U.S. Coast Guard Southeast.

Good Samaritans who were boating nearby hoisted the four people aboard their vessel. Within minutes, a U.S. Coast Guard crew from Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg was diverted from nearby training exercises and arrived on the scene.

The four people were transferred to a 29-foot response boat and transported to Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg. Emergency medical services were waiting there.

One person was transported to an area hospital, but no life-threatening injuries were reported, according to the Coast Guard.

The airplane belonged to a flight school at Albert Whitted Airport, Fox 13 reports. Bay News 9 reports that the Cessna 172 remained submerged in the water after the crash.

No statement has been issued on the cause of the accident.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 4:11 PM.