Pilot rescued from fishing lake

A pilot whose light aircraft made an emergency landing near Bradford on Avon had to be rescued from a private fishing lake by firefighters.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to the lake, at Bradford Leigh, at 7pm on Wednesday (25 June) by a member of the public who was fishing at the scene and witnessed the landing.

Crews from Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Cooper Avon – who specialise in water rescue incidents – attended and found the pilot had escaped from the Piper light aircraft and was sat on top of the craft. An inflatable walkway was used to bring him to land, where he was seen by paramedics and then taken to hospital.

Recovery of the aircraft will take place today (26 June), under the supervision of the Environment Agency, working together with Wiltshire FRS and Wiltshire Police.

An investigation into the cause of the accident will be carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority.

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