Cessna Aircraft Rescued From Cherry Lake

Groveland, Ca — The small Cessna aircraft involved in Wednesday´s crash landing in Cherry Lake has successfully been pulled out of the water.

?The aircraft came to a rest over in the northwest corner of the lake, where the wind had blown it against the rocks,? says Incident Commander Dave Bartel with the City and County of San Francisco Hetch Hetchy Water and Power. ?Yesterday the aircraft was towed by a small boat back to the Cherry boat launch, flipped back onto its pontoons, and subsequently pulled up the boat ramp.?

The pilot of the single engine aircraft on floats was attempting to land on the lake, but the landing gear was accidentally deployed, causing the plane to cartwheel into the water.

The husband, wife, and two children were all able to safely escape the aircraft and reach shore. The youngest child was in a booster seat, and Bartel says that the father had to dive down approximately three times to smash out the back window in order to bring the child to safety.

Bartel estimates that the accident caused around $220,000 in damage to the plane, but mechanics on scene say it can be repaired.

?It is expected that both the family and the aircraft will fly again someday soon,? says Bartel.

FAA reports indicate that the pilot was Charles Hartwell. No information is listed in regards to the passengers.

Written by BJ Hansen