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Horror as plane crash lands in sea off UK coast as crew found floating on wing

Two people were rescued after a microlight aircraft ditched into Cardigan Bay off the Welsh coast on Friday evening, with rescuers finding the pair sitting on the wing of the plane

[An aircraft, potentially a drone, is partially submerged in a body of water, possibly the ocean, with the wings above the water surface.]

Both casualties were brought ashore(Image: RNLI Fishguard)

A dramatic rescue operation was launched after an aircraft came down in waters off a UK coastline. Two people were pulled to safety following a small aircraft's forced landing a stone's throw from the Welsh shore on Friday evening.

The drama unfolded close to Cardigan Island, a deserted wildlife sanctuary situated off Gwbert's coast in south Wales, not far from the Cliff Hotel and Spa. A microlight - a compact, fixed-wing or weight-shift craft - plunged into Cardigan Bay after encountering problems around 6pm yesterday evening, coastguards confirmed. Emergency teams subsequently discovered two occupants from the stricken aircraft at sea, perched on the plane's wing.

Both passengers were transported to dry land via lifeboat and transferred to Welsh Ambulance Service personnel who had rushed to the scene alongside RNLI teams from New Quay and Cardigan plus a coastguard rescue helicopter, WalesOnline reported.

[An emergency medical services vehicle is parked next to a yellow boat and a white van in an outdoor area, with a stone wall and a blue canopy in the background. Several individuals are present, some of whom are standing near the boat.]

Rescue crews at the scene(Image: New Quay Lifeboat station)

Coastguard officials have yet to reveal specifics regarding any potential injuries suffered by the pair aboard, though it's understood they escaped serious harm from the ordeal.

A coastguard spokesperson commented: "We received a report at around 6pm on Friday of a microlight, with two people on board, that had ditched into the water approximately nine nautical miles north west of Cardigan Island, Pembrokeshire.

"A coastguard rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats from Fishguard, New Quay, and Cardigan, and the ambulance service were all sent. The two people were located sitting on the wing of the microlight.

[An orange rescue vessel is navigating through choppy waters, with individuals aboard equipped with safety gear, indicative of a potential rescue operation or maritime patrol activity.]

RNLI crews attended(Image: New Quay Lifeboat station)

"They were recovered by a lifeboat and taken to shore where they were passed into the care of the ambulance service."

This follows after a pilot perished in a light aircraft crash near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon on Friday morning.

Emergency services, including police, firefighters, ambulance crews and an air ambulance, raced to the scene after the incident was reported at around 10am yesterday.

The pilot, thought to be a woman in her 40s, was declared dead at the scene, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Police added the force would continue work with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and have urged the public not to speculate about the circumstances of the crash.

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