23-year-old Aviator Pulls off Miraculous Water Landing after Engine Quit
A young Florida pilot was able to swim away from a dramatic water landing in the Atlantic Ocean off Boca Raton on Saturday in a video captured by a beachgoer.
Faith Tenkley, 23, who has been a pilot for four years, maneuvered her family’s twin-engine Piper around buildings as she approached the coast and avoided paddleboarders before finding an open stretch of water next to the beach, she told Gulf Coast News. The plane made a smooth water landing at about 9:40 a.m. local time.
A lifeguard reached Tenkley within about a minute after the plane went down near 250 South Ocean Blvd., followed closely by a Boca Raton Ocean Rescue fire boat, according to local authorities.
Video captured the dramatic moments of the water landing, the quick rescue and the aftermath of a shaken Tenkley sitting on the beach, looking out to the sinking plane fully intact.
Tenkley, who Fox News Digital has reached out to for comment, has declined media interviews outside of Gulf Coast News’ Peter Busch. He reported she wanted to clear up misinformation that it was a male pilot rescued by a female surfer instead of vice versa. (Read more from “23-year-old Aviator Pulls off Miraculous Water Landing after Engine Quit” HERE)
