Belgian girl (15) crashes with a plane in mind of family in the sea, but can swim back to the coast: « I was very scared »

The facts took place in Cambaie, a district of the capital Saint-Paul. On Sunday morning at just after 8 hours of local time, an ultra -light plane (or ULM) of the FK9 Ultralight type had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off. Successfully: the plane landed on the water without too heavy impact, on dozens to hundreds of meters from the coastline. Once in the water, the 53-year-old pilot helped his passenger, 15-year-old Emmy, from the plane, after which the two could swim to the coast.

« We went up and I heard the engine turn off, after which we fell into the sea, » the Belgian teenager told Réunion La 1ère. “Everywhere was water, I closed my eyes, he (the pilot, ed.) Loosen my belt and I got out myself. We swam back to the coast. It was very heavy, I was very scared. « 

The girl and brother of the girl were still waiting for the floor to rise, her mother Sabrina Vaillant saw everything happening from another plane. « I thought we would go after them by plane and jump in the water, » she says. « I got a panic attack. When we came back on land, I shouted to my husband that something was going on with Emmy, and that he quickly had to go into the water to get her. »

A witness called the emergency services, who were quickly on the spot. The pilot suffered from his shoulder, the Belgian girl was unharmed but in shock. An investigation has been started to clear the cause of the accident. « I think the pilot was not professional enough. My daughter did not come out undamaged here, we left Réunion with a good trauma, » quotes the local news site L’info Mother Sabrina. « I have been flying for twenty years and have more than ten thousand flying hours, I can’t understand, » the pilot responded to the incident.