A pilot died after his small plane plunged into Lake Hamilton in Arkansas.
The aircraft, a Cessna 177 Cardinal, met its end on the afternoon of Monday, June 26, according to the Garland County Sheriff’s Office. A female passenger, the pilot’s daughter, however, was rescued from the watery wreckage by emergency responders. She was transported to a nearby hospital and later airlifted to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock for further treatment. Divers found her unresponsive father, and police later confirmed that he had died.
The deceased pilot has been identified as 49-year-old Daniel Dale Jones. The survivor is Denise Jones, 23.
The unfolding of the tragic events began with the pilot’s request for an emergency landing at Hot Springs Airport, citing an aircraft distress situation. As the plane failed to make the anticipated landing, 911 authorities were notified and dispatched to the location near Port Au Prince.
The plane, en route from Kentucky, fell short of its destination, ending its journey in the lake. The submerged wreckage, resting roughly 100 feet from the shoreline, was seen in images circulating on social media. Multi-agency teams worked in tandem to retrieve the plane from the lake.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have initiated thorough investigations to determine the cause behind the distress call and the crash.