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Father & Son Duo Save Pilot's Life After His Small Plane Crashes Into Nearby Icy Creek
Ashley McCann
A retired U.S. Navy captain and his son, a U.S. Marine, saw a plane coming right toward their home in Anne Arundel County, Maryland the morning after Christmas.
Photo: YouTube/TODAY
The small plane eventually banked left and crashed into nearby icy Beards Creek.
The pilot, 71-year-old Steve Couchman, was screaming for help after landing in the creek. The Gelinnes immediately called 911 and then sprang into action.
The creek was frozen and water temperatures were in the low 40s, so Gelinne knew they had to act quickly to get him out of there.
Photo: YouTube/TODAY
He brainstormed for a few moments, thinking of how they could safely get the pilot out of the water as safely and fast as possible. That's when he came up with the idea to use their kayaks.
The Gelinnes used shovels instead of paddles to get the kayaks across the ice. When they reached the pilot, he was standing on the wing of the sinking plane.
They were thankfully able to grab him and pull him onto their kayak.
Photo: YouTube/TODAY
"I asked him to release from the plane, the tail, that’s all that was left for him to grab to, and got it and yanked him onto the kayak," Gelinne told TODAY.
Once emergency teams arrived, they took a boat to bring the pilot to shore.
Photo: YouTube/TODAY
Couchman was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated with non-life-threatening injuries.
If it weren't for the Gelinnes, Couchman most likely would've drowned in the freezing water.
Hear more about this incredible story in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGA2eg5iMg
