A small aircraft crash-landed in the sea near a UK coast, prompting a swift rescue operation. The incident unfolded close to Cardigan Island, an uninhabited nature reserve off the Welsh coastline near Gwbert. The distressed microlight, a lightweight aircraft, encountered trouble and ended up in Cardigan Bay around 6pm, with two individuals found sitting on its wing by coastguards.
Following the rescue, two passengers were safely brought ashore via a lifeboat and transferred to the Welsh Ambulance Service. Responding to the emergency were RNLI crews from New Quay and Cardigan, along with a coastguard rescue helicopter. While the condition of the rescued pair remains undisclosed by the coastguard, reports suggest they sustained no severe injuries during the incident.
A coastguard spokesperson reported receiving an alert on Friday evening about the microlight mishap, pinpointing the location approximately nine nautical miles northwest of Cardigan Island, Pembrokeshire. The stranded individuals were swiftly located on the aircraft’s wing and successfully retrieved by a lifeboat for medical attention onshore.
In a separate incident earlier that day, a tragic light aircraft crash near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon claimed the life of a pilot, a woman in her 40s. The authorities, including police, firefighters, ambulance crews, and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene upon the incident’s report around 10am. The pilot was pronounced dead on-site, as confirmed by Devon and Cornwall Police.
Law enforcement officials emphasized collaborating with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and discouraged public speculation on the crash circumstances. Superintendent Jo Arundale expressed condolences and urged individuals with relevant footage to contact them directly instead of sharing it online, extending sympathies to the deceased pilot’s loved ones.