Community reacts to plane crash and miracle escape

Emergency services were called to reports of a plane having crashed in the sea close to beach huts at Widewater, Lancing, shortly before 4pm yesterday.

Incredibly, the two people on board were not believed to have been injured in the crash, They even swam to shore after freeing themselves from the aircraft – click here to watch a video.

Commenting on the Worthing Herald’s Facebook page, Zoë Imbimbo said: “Glad pilot and passenger are okay. We were in the park by Seaside school and heard a very dodgy-sounding plane pass behind us from the airport. My daughter could see it and said it was too low and wobbly. Then I heard lots of sirens.”

And Mandy Carlyle said: “I was in my garden in Durrington when a small plane went over I said to my hubby, ‘that plane doesn’t sound right’. It was around the time the plane would have gone down.”

Stuart Glass added: “Incredible that these guys defied the odds and survived the impact.”

While many

The fantastic response from our emergency services was also singled out for praise by members of the Herald & Gazette’s Facebook community.

On the Littlehampton Gazette’s Facebook page, Michele Russell commented: “Good job, rescue teams, and glad all are ok. I was in the back garden and saw it coming down – no real engine noise – but didn’t see it hit the sea.”

While on the Shoreham Herald Facebook page, Malcolm Berry said: “The RNLI always do a fantastic job.”

With everyone involved believed to be okay, there was room for some wry comments, with Glenn Everest commenting on the Worthing Herald Facebook page: “I think the engine might be flooded.”