Jupiter Rescue boat operator helps save all occupants of Seaplane crash near Bahamas
By Rachel Williams, Malcolm ShieldsEmail
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BIMINI (WPBF) — A rescue boat operator in Jupiter ensured all 10 aboard a seaplane that crashed near a resort in North Bimini, Bahamas, were safely evacuated.
A 2014 fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft was nearly overturned when officers arrived at the scene around 10 a.m. Saturday.
Nick Pavlakis, general manager of Marine Max in Jupiter and a rescue boat operator, witnessed the crash and quickly took action to help the eight passengers and two crew members on board.
“Right as I tied up from getting fuel, we heard some panicking people waving, and then we saw the seaplane drifting, so I thought, ‘Okay, the plane lost power, the plane is drifting,’ and I grabbed the four closest guys I had to me, a couple of locals, a couple of people in our group,” Pavlakis told WPBF.
Pavlakis and his team worked swiftly to evacuate everyone from the plane. He said a captain on a dinghy also assisted.
“At that point we said, ‘Okay, luggage comes off, all the passengers are safe, copilots come off, pilot is getting everything off of the plane,’ and he was filling up in the pontoons, and then it starts filling up in the cabin. He got off of the plane just as it started to roll, and it eventually rolled, sat on the bottom where it still is today,” Pavlakis said.
All passengers and crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. Pavlakis noted that the rescue operation was completed in a matter of minutes.
“We got everybody on the boat from leaving the dock and having people on board, minus the pilot and copilot … it must have been five minutes, ten minutes tops. But between getting the boat situated, getting all the luggage off felt like a few hours, but I think it was probably 20 or 30 minutes,” he said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the pilot attempted to change direction when the aircraft suddenly pivoted left. Despite efforts to correct its course, the plane failed to respond and collided with a dock.
“They crashed into a seawall, which is where the pontoon on the bottom of the seaplane started taking on water and their engine stalled,” Pavlakis said. “The plane was not on fire. I thought it was on fire for a minute, and that’s when I was a little bit worried, but it was just the saltwater going on the exhaust.”
Pavlakis expressed relief that everyone was unharmed.
“It felt great, but I didn’t even think about it. I had the right people with me, it was the right place, right time, and any day out on the water, anything that we can do to make it safe… we’re going to do that,” he said.
The red 2014 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Seaplane was operated by Tropic Ocean Airways, out of Fort Lauderdale. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the plane is owned by FloatSix Leasing, LLC based in Lubbock, Texas.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the seaplane said all occupants were from the United States, on board.
An initial report by the Police Force indicates that while attempting to depart, the aircraft encountered heavy vessel traffic in its intended path.
As a precaution, the pilot diverted northward in search of a safer route for take-off.
However, while taxiing on the water, the aircraft reportedly began pulling to the left. Despite efforts to correct the seaplane’s course, the aircraft failed to respond and collided with a dock. After impact, nearby boaters immediately rendered assistance, helping the 10 occupants safely exit the seaplane, which later sank in 100 feet of water.
The Police Force said an investigation into the incident is ongoing and government agencies were notified of the incident.
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