OCEAN SHORES, Wash. — Two people were injured in a small plane crash near the Ocean Shores Municipal Airport on Saturday afternoon, according to the Ocean Shores Fire Department (OSFD).
A single-engine fixed-wing aircraft crashed around 4:15 p.m. in a marshy area between the airport and North Bay on Saturday, according to the fire department. First responders had to walk to the crash site because emergency vehicles could not drive on the terrain of the crash location.
Two people were trapped in the wreckage of the airplane.
One person was airlifted to the hospital after Ocean Shores Fire crews extricated them from the plane and carried them to the airport. A second person was trapped by the wing of the airplane and crews conducted a “complicated rescue,” the fire department said on social media.
That second person was also carried to the airport and transported to the hospital by medics.
OSFD Assistant Chief Mike Mandella commended the work for the medics and firefighters on scene, saying “they were flawless.”
"In 47 years, both as a first responder and a chief, this was one of the most impressive calls I’ve ever been on. The smooth teamwork of our crews, including Mayor Frank Elduen and City Administrator Scott Andersen, was integral to the success of the mission,” Mandella said.
Additional departments responded to the scene including the Ocean Shores Police Department, Grays Harbor Communications, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management, Grays Harbor Fire District 7, and the Hoquiam Fire Department.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash, according to the fire department.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.