Witnesses rescue pilot in Maryland plane crash

Three good Samaritans boarded kayaks and rescued a pilot on Monday after he crashed a small plane into a frozen creek in Edgewater, Md.

Steve Couchman, 71, of Frederick, Md., took off from Lee Airport in Edgewater around 10:30 a.m. on Monday in his Piper Cherokee single-engine plane, according to a release from Maryland State Police. He was the sole occupant of the plane.

His engine sputtered moments after taking off, according to a preliminary investigation.

Witnesses said they heard a sputter before the plane crashed into Beards Creek, which was iced over from the winter weather.

The plane began sinking, and Couchman clambered on top of the light aircraft's wing for safety.

Three witnesses — two civilians and an off-duty police officer with Anne Arundel County — each boarded a separate kayak and skimmed across the creek to rescue the pilot.

Couchman was able to hang on to one of the kayaks to stay afloat. Police and emergency responders arrived by boat, cut through the ice and transported the pilot to a hospital.

Maryland State Police report that none of the kayakers were injured during the rescue operation, and the investigation is ongoing.