A 59 year old Kitfox pilot crashed into the Colorado River near the Colorado Utah border and was lucky enough to be found by passing rafters before professional rescuers were on scene. The rafters took the injured pilot to the closest boat ramp in Westwater, Utah where they were met by an emergency crew.
Mesa County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook Page did the some great reporting on the incident. Here’s some of their posts:
Mesa County Deputies, Mesa County Search and Rescue and Lower Valley Fire Protection District are responding to a report of a small plane crash in the Colorado River near the Colorado Utah boarder. Preliminary reports indicate the 59-year-old solo pilot is conscious and breathing but does have some injuries. They are being helped to safety by a passerby who was rafting in the Colorado River. The plane is believed to be a Kitfox aircraft and is reportedly partially submerged in the river.
The pilot of the plane that crashed in the Colorado River near the Utah Colorado boarder was transported via helicopter to the hospital. The 59-year-old solo pilot is conscious and breathing. Rafters saw the plane and helped get the pilot to the nearest boat ramp (Westwater, Utah) where emergency crews were waiting. Deputies took a boat up river and helped secure the Kitfox aircraft at the crash site. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office has notified the FAA and NTSB.
Here are photos from today’s plan crash in the Colorado River near the Utah Colorado boarder. The 59-year-old pilot was airlifted to a hospital after rafters helped bring him to rescue crews. NTSB and FAA have been notified.
