KENT, Wash. — Police, fire, and medic crews responded to a seaplane crash on Lake Meridian in Kent on Saturday morning after multiple 911 callers reportedly said the plane had crashed into the lake and was actively sinking upside down.
The 911 callers reported to Kent police that the plane crashed around 10 a.m., adding that it was about 300 feet from the shoreline and that several boaters were already trying to look for any occupants.
Kent PD patrol officers, Puget Sound Fire firefighters, and medics responded to the scene.
According to Puget Sound Fire, crews arrived and found a small plane upside down in the water. Firefighters, a Kent PD officer, and a resident reportedly entered the water to rescue the pilot.
Kent PD said the pilot was determined to be the only occupant, and was found and pulled from the plane. Officers say he was unconscious and CPR was immediately initiated.
KIRO 7′s Brandon Thompson went to the scene and spoke with the public information officer for Puget Sound Fire, Pat Pawlak.
Pawlak says that the boaters and community members who kept the plane from drifting helped first responders quickly retrieve the pilot and revive him.
“If it wasn’t for the citizens, the community members here, helping us, it may have been a different outcome. We give a heartfelt thanks to all the community members and firefighters who were here, as well as Kent Police Department,” said Pawlak.
According to Pawlak, the pilot was taken to a Seattle-area hospital with life-threatening injuries. A spokesperson with Harborview Medical Center confirmed that the pilot had been taken there, and was admitted to the ICU in critical condition.
A few days later, the 74-year-old man was confirmed to have passed away.
His family sent KIRO 7 a statement, saying, “He was a selfless person who was always there to help those around him. Like the love he showed others, our heartbreak cannot be put into words.”
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