[Fair use for education and research purpose only]

April 16, 2000

Title: Pilot Rescued From Icy Lake

Lucky To Be Found Quickly After Crash

By JONATHAN KINGSTONE -- Toronto Sun

A quick rescue from the frigid Toronto harbour last night likely saved the life of a pilot whose small plane crashed moments after takeoff from the City Centre Airport.

"He was going under; we got there just in time," said Toronto Police Sgt. Stephen Henkel.

The pilot, in his 20s, managed to swim free from the Cessna after it went down at 9:42 p.m. in the inner harbour between the western channel and Ontario Place.

He was floating on his back when the police marine unit spotted him with a searchlight within five minutes. Survival time in the 5C water is only about 20 minutes, said Toronto Fire Department District Chief Nick Dimitropoulis.

"He was smart enough to stay by a buoy or marker and that's how the police boat found him," Dimitropoulis said. He said the pilot -- who was alone on the plane -- was conscious, but had suffered severe hypothermia. He was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital. Police said they do not believe his injuries are life threatening.

The pilot, who was taking night flight training, had just cleared the runway when mechanical problems caused the plane to dive, police said.

Staff manning the flight tower sounded the airport's alarms.

Police and fire boats headed out while emergency crews gathered at the foot of Stadium Rd., just west of Bathurst St.

The plane -- reported to be a single-engine Cessna 172 -- was found floating two metres below the surface about 200 metres west of the airport.

Crews on the Toronto fire boat William Lyon Mackenzie secured the plane with markers, Dimitropoulis said.

He said crews will pluck the plane from the lake today.

http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/04_n1.html

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 16, 2000