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A determined couple swam from their sinking Piper PA-24 after it lost power and crashed into Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon, reaching a nearby buoy and waiting for rescuers to transport them to a local hospital with minor injuries. The wife, who was piloting when the plane lost power, told local news they were not sure if they would make it, but they were not going to die that day.
Boston 25 News reported that the Piper Comanche crashed after taking off from the Quonset State Airport (OQU), sinking within eight minutes. Paul and Alysia Larson swam from the plane to a nearby buoy to wait for rescuers.
"There was a moment where I was like, ‘I'm not sure if we're going to make it,'" Alysia said to Boston 25 News. "I was also saying, ‘We are not going to die today.'"
The couple was rescued from the cold waters, which reached just 43 degrees that afternoon, and they were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and hypothermia.
"These folks were basically hypothermic from being in the water, bumps and bruises," Battalion Chief William Maccarone said to Boston 25 News.
The Providence Journal reported that Alysia was piloting the Piper and attempting a landing when it lost power. Despite the ordeal, rescuers said the couple remained calm. WPRI noted that the plane had taken off from Quonset Saturday morning and made stops in Massachusetts when on the return flight the plane had engine trouble and crashed into the water just 2,000 feet from the runway. The Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport confirmed the incident on X (Twitter), stating that the state police and other agencies were on site after the crash.
The Larsons sat down with NBC 10 News WJAR, sharing that they both are pilots and own and operate their Comanche. Friends say the couple flies at least once a week. Their plane may have sunk in the bay, but they both survived the crash with minor injuries and an inspiring story of perseverance to share.