Small plane crashes into Lake Michigan approximately 12 miles from Racine coast
CBS 58 RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A small plane crashed into Lake Michigan, approximately 12 miles off the coast of Racine Thursday afternoon, Sept. 11.
According to airport officials, the small Cirrus aircraft left Milwaukee to head to Michigan but went down mid-flight just after 12:30 p.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard says three people were floating in the water for 40 minutes before they were rescued and officials credit the life jackets they were wearing as to why there were no injuries.
Emergency crews from several departments including the Coast Guard, Racine police and fire, and a Traverse City helicopter all helped respond.
Even another civilian aircraft was able to spot the downed plane and circled the area mid-air to help point it out for the recovery.
"From start to finish, it was probably about an hour and 10 minutes from when we received notification of the downed aircraft. We immediately launched and sent the station out there, station got there in probably 40, 45 minutes, got them out of the water," said Lt. Joseph Neff, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The cause of the crash is under investigation and officials say the plane is fully submerged in the lake.
