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Boaters, off-duty officer rescue pilot who crashed into lake

By Staff | Aug 10, 2020

MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) — A Massachusetts police officer on vacation helped rescue the pilot of an ultralight glider plane, who crash landed in Lake Winnipesaukie in New Hampshire.

The plane’s engine stopped while the glider was flying at 1,000 feet (305 meters) on Sunday, and boaters helped pull the pilot from the water after he crashed, the New Hampshire State police said in a statement.

One of the boaters was Stoneham police Officer Joe Ponzo, who was on vacation on the lake. Along with his wife and others, he rescued the pilot from the water, the Stoneham police department said.

David Grapes, 78, of Center Harbor, New Hampshire, was taken to a hospital but did not have serious injuries, the state police said.

“It just kind of dropped out of the sky,” Ponzo told WPRI-TV of the glider. “It came nose first right into the water,” and flipped entirely over. The plane sunk almost immediately, he said.

“It was a close call is all I can say,” Ponzo said.

The New Hampshire state police said they are investigating the crash.

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