FDNY Marine Units raced to the East River near the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens Saturday after a seaplane crashed into the water just after takeoff, officials said.
The seaplane was lifting off from the water off of Riverside Drive and 158th St. in Whitestone at about 9:20 a.m. when it hit a large wave and crashed back into the sea, according to early radio reports.
A nearby private boat raced over and lashed ropes onto the sinking plane to keep it afloat.
An FDNY Marine Unit quickly arrived and pulled the two occupants from the plane.
Their injuries were minor, an FDNY spokesman said.
Crews were working on pulling the submerged plane back to land.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.