Hundreds of junior lifeguards happened to be nearby for a local event.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Beachgoers witnessed a rare event last month when a small plane crashed into the ocean close to the Huntington Beach Pier.
Video from the July 22 incident shows the plane, carrying a banner behind it and flying parallel to the sand, slowly lower towards the water before plunging in at around 1:30 PM. Nearby lifeguards quickly rushed to help the pilot inside, with the plane crash-landing quite near to the sand.
Fortunately, no one was struck by the plane as it went down.
“I’m not kidding, it’s going into the water!,” a man filming the video posted to Twitter can be heard saying.
The crash occurred during the 2022 California Surf Lifesaving Association Junior Lifeguard Championship, where lifeguards were competing in a variety of athletic competitions, meaning hundreds of junior lifeguards were nearby during the incident.
The pilot was seen leaving the scene in a neck brace before being transported to a local hospital, with the Huntington Beach Fire Department noting that no serious injuries occurred.
Fire Department personnel were on scene for several hours to get the plane off the beach.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the crash.
