Airplane Towing Banner Crashes Off Palos Verdes; Pilot Escapes
A small plane towing a banner over Southland beaches crashed into the waters off Palos Verdes on Saturday afternoon, leaving the pilot uninjured as he escaped from his sinking craft, said a lifeguard spokesman.
The Cessna 150 went down at 1:45 p.m. a half-mile off La Rotunda and Palos Verdes drives, said lifeguard Capt. Bob Buchanan. The 53-year-old pilot, who was the only person aboard the single-engine plane, drifted for several minutes before he was rescued by a fishing boat, said Buchanan.
A Palos Verdes resident who saw the crash called 911. County lifeguards arrived at the scene and performed first aid on the pilot.
The Lakewood man suffered cuts and bruises to the face and refused to be taken to the hospital, opting instead to search with lifeguards for his plane, said Buchanan.
Failing to find the aircraft, lifeguards called off the search at 4 p.m., said Buchanan.
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