MESA COUNTY, Colorado, July 31, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A pilot is injured after a small plane crashed into the Colorado River near the Utah border Tuesday afternoon.
Mesa County deputies, Search and Rescue and Lower Valley Fire Protection District are responding to the report of the crash, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office said in Facebook post at 2:30 p.m.
Preliminary reports indicate the 59-year-old pilot is conscious and breathing but does have some injuries, the post said. The pilot was the only person on the plane, according to initial reports.
The pilot was helped to safety by a passerby who was rafting in the Colorado River, then airlifted to an area hospital.
The plane is believed to be a Kitfox aircraft and is reportedly partially submerged in the river.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified of the incident.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
