Heroic Rescue After Small Plane Crash-Lands in Atlantic Ocean
A striking video captures the moment a small aircraft plunged into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after departing from a North Carolina airstrip, prompting a significant rescue effort.
The pilot of the single-engine plane was compelled to execute an emergency ditching due to engine failure, making it impossible to return to the Cape Fear Regional Jetport or land on the busy beach, according to a statement from the Oak Island Fire Department (OIFD).
Footage of the incident reveals the aircraft speeding toward the ocean before it capsized in a dramatic scene earlier this month.
In stunning drone imagery released by rescuers, Mark Finkelstein, the pilot, can be seen being extracted by his feet through the smashed windshield, having barely survived by inhaling a small pocket of air in the rear of the cabin.
“On Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 7:33 PM, Mark Finkelstein’s small, single-engine plane began to have engine trouble. With no options to return to the Cape Fear Regional Jetport and a crowded beach below, he opted for an emergency water landing near the Oak Island Pier,” the OIFD statement explained.
“Upon hitting the water, the aircraft rolled forward and settled primarily submerged but upright,” it added.
“Thanks to a small medium of air in the rear cabin, Finkelstein was safely guided under the water and out through the windshield by rescuers,” the report detailed.
The entire rescue effort was remarkably swift, lasting just 30 seconds, as confirmed by the OIFD.
Finkelstein expressed his sincere gratitude in a statement shared by the OIFD: “I cannot thank everyone enough for their role in my rescue and care after the water landing… You were true lifesavers!”
On August 11, Finkelstein visited the Southport Fire Department Caswell Station to meet his rescuers, express his thanks, and present them with a recognition award for their prompt actions.
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