ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A pilot who crashed a single-engine aircraft into a marsh near U.S. 1 in St. Johns County was rescued Thursday morning when a fire rescue battalion chief happened to see the crash and commandeered a kayak to pull her from the water.
Officials said they received a call around 8 a.m. regarding an aircraft that went down on Capo Island Road, near Redfish Creek Drive, in St. Augustine.
Crews were on scene of an aircraft down Thursday morning in the marsh north of the St. Augustine Airport, according to the St. Johns County Fire Rescue. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)
According to officials, the 20-year-old female pilot was a student who was flying solo. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries she suffered in the crash.
“It is heroic. We come to these types of calls every day. Not necessarily plane crashes, but tragic incidents. For us as first responders with fire rescue, the sheriff’s office being able to think on our feet, we also have marine units and their boats and everything like that, but for our guys and their guys to think on their feet quickly to go out there, commandeer a kayak and go out to grab somebody out of a plane crash, and bring them to shore safely so that we can treat them is heroic,” said Chriss Naff with St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.
Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.