Young pilot safely ditches plane in Boca Raton waters and swims to shore

Faith Tenkley, 23, was the sole occupant of a twin-engine Piper that encountered landing-gear and engine trouble about 15 miles west of Boca Racon. Opting against a risky runway landing, she executed a smooth water touchdown at roughly 9:40 a.m. local time. Beach witnesses captured the event on video as the aircraft settled intact in the ocean.

A lifeguard arrived within a minute, followed by a Boca Raton Ocean Rescue fire boat, and escorted Tenkley to shore where she was later examined at a hospital with no injuries recorded. She later told Gulf Coast News that social media had misidentified her as a male pilot rescued by a surfer, prompting her to set the record straight. The incident was tracked by FlightAware until the aircraft left land-based radar coverage.