OCEAN CITY, Md. - A flying boat emergency landed in Assawoman Bay in Ocean City this afternoon after one of its stabilizing floats came off, according to the Ocean City Fire Department.
Fire officials say it landed behind popular beach bar Seacrets around 2:15 p.m.
They say the aircraft was a SeaRey, which is a single engine seaplane with a hull, which is what allows the plane to land on water. The aircraft remained "somewhat afloat," according to the fire department, and no one was hurt.
Ocean City Fire Department spokesperson Ryan Whittington said crews respond to aircraft calls with multiple agencies because they do not know at first how serious the situation may be.
“Anytime we have an aircraft emergency, multiple resources and jurisdictions are automatically put on it, not knowing the severity of any emergency landing or potential crash,” Whittington said.
Whittington said the pilot avoided boats and people in the water.
“The story here is that the pilots all did as they were supposed to, avoiding any additional boats, avoiding people in the water,” Whittington said.
The incident came less than two weeks after a small plane made an emergency landing on the beach near 94th Street. No injuries were reported in that incident either.
Bailey Phillips, who works at Seacrets, said staff heard the call come over the radio and saw first responders move toward the bay.
“Of course, when you hear that call, it’s a little bit scary,” Phillips said.
Phillips said the response drew attention, but the scene calmed once people realized no one was hurt.
“It definitely was blown out of proportion,” Phillips said. “Everything was all right.”
The incident is being handled by the Maryland Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
(Ocean City Fire Department)
