Man and His Dog Swam to Shore After Small Vintage Plane He Was Piloting Crashed Into the Ocean

Stacey Ritzen
·2 min read
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A man and his dog are lucky to have escaped with their lives after a small, single-engine plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of Southern California on Sunday.

The pilot, who has since been identified as Christopher Krajacic, was flying the vintage Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six aircraft from Santa Monica to Long Beach when an issue with the engine occurred, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, per the Los Angeles Times. The plane crashed about 150 to 200 yards from shore around 5:20 p.m., nearby the Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles, located in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

A bystander who witnessed the crash called 911, alerting rescue personnel to the incident. The LAPD Special Enforcement Bureau posted on social media that tactical medics were deployed to the scene.

U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Edward Wargo confirmed that there was one person on board the aircraft along with their dog. "Both were able to safely swim," he said.

The plane, which the Federal Aviation Administration says was manufactured in 1981, quickly sank. Divers with the Los Angeles County Fire Department went into the water to flag the location of the craft but there were reportedly no attempts to salvage it.

As of Monday morning, the exact circumstances surrounding the crash were still under investigation, however, the sheriff's office stated that engine failure had occurred. In the meantime, Wargo says the Coast Guard's priority is ensuring that fuel from the plane doesn't cause environmental damage.

This latest incident comes amid a recent rash of single engine plane crashes making headlines across the country. Back in February, a small, single-engine plane crashed into a Clearwater, FL mobile home park, leaving several people dead and damaging at least four homes. And then in March, another single-engine craft crashed in a fiery explosion next to a busy highway in Nashville, TN. All five passengers on board, including the pilot, were killed in that incident.