Saturday morning on the East River turned tense when a seaplane went down in the water near the Throggs Neck and Whitestone bridges, triggering a major water rescue and a swarm of emergency boats. Firefighters and other city agencies raced to the scene, pulled two people from the aircraft onto an FDNY vessel, and said both walked away without injuries.
According to CBS News New York, the Fire Department launched a large technical rescue operation just before 9:30 a.m. after getting reports of a small plane down in the river near the Throggs Neck Bridge and Whitestone, Queens. The New York City Office of Emergency Management confirmed it was responding, and city fire officials said the two passengers were evaluated on board an FDNY boat.
Where It Happened
The stretch of the East River north of Manhattan is a busy air-and-water corridor, home to the city’s seaplane operations. Skyports’ seaplane base at East 23rd Street serves as a hub for charter flights and seasonal shuttles to Long Island and the East End. City records describe Skyports’ long tenure on the East River and its role in managing amphibious flights in a tight space full of docks plus heavy recreational and commercial traffic, which makes the area operationally complex. The Comptroller’s office has detailed Skyports’ responsibilities and lease arrangements along the waterfront.
Response and Safety Context
When an aircraft ends up in a New York City waterway, FDNY Marine Operations and NYPD Harbor units are typically first in, coordinating closely with the Coast Guard and the Office of Emergency Management. Their job is to get people out of the water fast, stabilize the aircraft, and then secure it so it can be moved safely. Past incidents and professional analyses note that marine units are equipped to steady damaged planes and ferry passengers to nearby marinas or other vessels during a rescue. Fire Engineering has outlined how the city’s marine and port partners have worked together in previous river rescues…