A plane crashed in the North Carolina ocean but the pilot was rescued within minutes. Mark Finkelstein was saved after his craft crashed on August 2. The crash happened due to the engine failing mid-flight. Suddenly the plane started to slow down, so he had to make a quick decision.
Mark was the only one flying in his plane. After the failure he had no choice but to make an emergency landing in the ocean. His return to Cape Fear Regional Jetport was not possible due to the engine failure.
Moreover, the beach was crowded, so he had to land in the water. After the plane crash, the rescue team was able to quickly reach him. According to the OIFD the rescue team was already in the area and they were able to rescue him within minutes.
The video recording of the incident went viral on social media, showing his plane crashing into the ocean. The video of his rescue is also on YouTube, where two rescue members took him out of the plane’s cockpit, which was in the water.
Newly released video shows the swift rescue of a pilot who made an emergency landing into the ocean in Oak Island, North Carolina, earlier this month.
On August 2, at 7:33 pm, the small, single engine airplane entered the water, near the Oak Island Pier, according to the Town of… pic.twitter.com/BEK4nY42vg
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) August 29, 2025
He was transported to the shore in a stretcher on the rescue boat. Besides, he was awake despite the incident.
His plane crashed 13 minutes after he took off from the jetport, according to WECT News 6. He called his rescue to be fortunate, as anything could have happened. The speedy rescue saved his life despite the engine failure.
🚨 DRAMATIC RESCUE: Pilot Mark Finkelstein was saved within 30 seconds after his plane crashed off Oak Island Pier, NC.
He survived by breathing through a tiny air pocket until rescuers pulled him out.
Finkelstein: You were literally lifesavers!
🎥 Incredible drone footage… pic.twitter.com/vilrNUsnQ7
— Sarcasm Scoop (@sarcasm_scoop) August 30, 2025
He was pulled feet-first from the craft. He spoke to the new outlet, saying it was supposed to be a twenty-minute flight, and then he’d come back. He further added, “I was so fortunate that the impact didn’t injure me and doubly fortunate that the Oak Island Water Rescue got to me so quickly.”
He just got a cut on his leg and had no serious injuries, so he was truly fortunate. He was thankful to the rescue team for caring for him, calling them literally life savers.
