Pig hunters rescue pilot of downed plane on island off Georgetown
A group of pig hunters was in the right place at the right time Thursday afternoon, rescuing the pilot of a small plane that landed on an uninhabited island off Georgetown.
The pilot was whisked by boat to a public ramp near Georgetown, where rescue crews were waiting. The pilot was not injured seriously in the emergency landing, according to the Department of Natural Resources. His name was not available.
Jamie Dozier, who manages the Yawkey wildlife preserve for the Department of Natural Resources, said the pilot walked across part of the densely forested island and ran into the hunters.
“He is fine,” Dozier said, noting that the small plane was flying out of Georgetown’s airport.
North Island, which contains about 3,000 acres of marsh and high ground, does not have a bridge and can be reached only by boat. It is part of the Yawkey preserve, a coastal nature sanctuary near the Georgetown-Charleston county line.
The hog hunters said they were glad to help after they saw the pilot signaling them as he approached the North Island lighthouse. They were in their boat by the lighthouse dock, ready to move to another part of the island to hunt pigs. But they changed plans and drove him to the landing at South Island.
"He was lucky he was able to walk over there,'' Newberry hog hunter Billy Kunkle said, referring to the dense foliage at North Island. ''He was excited about seeing us, I'll tell you. We said "'Get in the boat.' So he jumped in the boat right quick.''
The hunters were on the island as part of the Department of Natural Resources’ annual pig hunt, which helps eradicate feral hogs that are affecting the ecosystem there.
The pilot landed on the beach at North Island after experiencing some type of difficulty with the plane, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Derek Beatty. Beatty said the pilot skillfully landed the plane under difficult circumstances.
This story was originally published February 12, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Pig hunters rescue pilot of downed plane on island off Georgetown."