Photo by Paul LamisonA pilot escaped serious injuries after his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. The small plane went down about 400 yards off Lido Key in Sarasota around 2:00 Wednesday afternoon.
The plane took off from Venice Municipal Airport around 1:30. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot knew there was a problem and he had to ditch the aircraft in the water. He was not seriously injured.
Witnesses on the beach reported the pilot was sitting on the top of his plane when a lifeguard on a water scooter picked him up. Boats were needed to tow the plane closer to shore.
