BARTOW, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies rescued two men from a small plane that crashed Friday in very shallow water on the edge of Lake Hancock in unincorporated Bartow, according to the agency.
- Plane took off from Boca Raton, en route to Lakeland airport
- FAA, NTSB investigating cause of crash
- Pilot, passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries
Officials said the plane, piloted by William Gonzalez, Jr., 70, of Valrico, took off from Boca Raton and was en route to Lakeland Linder Airport. Deputies were alerted to the plane's situation by a 911 call around 1:35 p.m.
The nearest streets to where the plane crashed are the 2000 block of U.S. Highway 98 South and Smith Lane.
Using the agency's helicopter, an airboat and a shallow water surface drive boat, deputies were able to reach the aircraft and extricate Gonzalez, along with his grandson, Joseph Berninghaus, 21, of Tampa. The two were transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission transported FAA and NTSB investigators, as well as Sheriff's Office Crime Scene investigators, to the scene of the crash.