Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Two men escaped injury Monday afternoon after a single-engine seaplane began taking on water and partially submerged in Orchard Lake following an aborted takeoff.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office reports at around 1pm, the aircraft was attempting to take off from Orchard Lake when the pilot aborted the maneuver.

While the aircraft was stationary in the water, it began tipping toward the passenger side and subsequently became partially submerged.

The pilot, a 26-year-old Auburn Hills man, and his passenger, a 75-year-old Ann Arbor man, successfully evacuated the aircraft.

A nearby civilian boater responded and assisted both men, safely transporting them to shore. Neither occupant was injured.

Sheriff Mike Bouchard said “Thankfully, for a variety of reasons and assistance from a good Samaritan, what could’ve been a tragic event ended without the loss of life. I am also proud of our search and rescue team that continues to show its capability in difficult situations, including recovering an aircraft.”

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team was activated and responded to the scene to coordinate efforts to safely recover the aircraft from the water.

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board responded to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The cause of the aborted takeoff and subsequent partial submersion remains under investigation.