VERO BEACH — A myriad of thoughts raced through the minds of Jonathan Lozada and Chase Gomez, two experienced deputy pilots, as they carried out a desperate search for a plane – and any survivors – that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean late Sunday. The sky above was dark and there was no trace of wreckage from the single engine, Cessna 172 aircraft that plummeted three miles off the coast of South Beach Park in Vero Beach.
It was a search turned rescue – with three people later pulled from the ocean – that the pair would not soon forget.
Indian River County sheriff’s Deputy Pilot Chase Gomez (left) and Deputy Pilot Jonathan Lozada. PHOTO BY NICK SAMUEL
“When we got the initial call, a lot of questions went through my head. ‘Are we going to find them? Is this going to be a tragedy?'” Lozada said. The crash prompted a multi-agency response, including the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office marine and air units, Vero Beach police officers, Indian River Shores Public Safety Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Lucie County Fire Rescue, Border Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard officials.
Sheriff Eric Flowers played footage of the rescue during a news conference Monday inside the agency’s auditorium. Flowers said all air traffic in Vero Beach was stopped during the search.
“This was an incredibly heroic event that our team was able to work with these other agencies, pull together and save these three folks who otherwise would probably be dead if it weren’t for their efforts,” Flowers said. “I’m incredibly proud of all the agencies…all the people that were on scene to save these people and make sure they made it out alive.”
The plane took off from an airport on the Palm Coast and was headed to Vero Beach Regional Airport. The pilot issued a Mayday communications signal to the Vero Beach airport before the plane splashed into the Atlantic.
“The Mayday call made a big difference,” said Flowers, who added that tracking the downed aircraft was like looking for a needle in a haystack. “They were able to get the coordinates (of the plane).”
When the search began, only the sound of the winding rotors from the helicopters, along with the crashing waves, could be heard as the pilots canvassed the deep blue ocean east of the 1700 block of Ocean Drive. The mission: impossible…or so they thought.
“We operate under night vision goggles. Even with the night vision goggles we were still limited on visibility,” Lozada said. “For us to be able to go that far offshore was unsafe for us. It was definitely a challenge safety wise.”
Video provided by Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
The pilots reverted back to their rescue training.
“We try to do the best we can in a real-life scenario,” Lozada said. “Things can get hectic. At one point I was switching from the Coast Guard radio to the law enforcement radio and back and forth.”
Lozada said he used FLIR – the helicopter’s infrared system which detects heat, motion and proximity – when he saw what he initially thought was plane wreckage. Then, Lozada took a closer look and noticed three heads bobbing in the water.
“When I was able to find those three bobbing heads in the water, there was a sigh of relief in the cockpit,” Lozada said. “I was happy that we were able to locate them. Not only did we locate them, but they were alive. At one point I actually saw one of them wave toward us.”
The search mission then switched to a rescue operation.
Gomez and Lozada guided rescue boats to the location of the pilot and two passengers, who had been treading water for at least 45 minutes. A rescue swimmer pulled the individuals onto the Coast Guard vessels.
“They were trying to swim to the shore,” said Steve Greer, assistant fire chief with Indian River County Fire Rescue.
The individuals were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Fort Pierce.
The pilot, a man, had severe rib pain, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The two passengers, a man and a woman, had minor injuries.
First responders took all three people to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. As of Monday morning, the two passengers were released while the pilot remained in the hospital, said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Gomez said he was blessed to help rescue the people stranded in the ocean after the plane wreck.
“It’s a huge achievement. I’m very fortunate we were able to find them,” Gomez said. “At night in the ocean, the challenge is extreme to locate people (in the water). It’s very difficult.”
Lozada said it was rewarding to take part in rescuing the individuals.
“It’s why I wake up and come to work every day. I wouldn’t see myself doing anything else,” Lozada said. “I do this for the people.”
Lozada the incident was the first plane crash where he’s had to fly a helicopter and search for any survivors.
Lozada has worked for the sheriff’s office for 13 years, including four years in the agency’s aviation unit. Gomez has worked for the agency for seven and a half years and has 10 years of aviation experience total that includes previous jobs.
FAA officials were notified and said they were investigating the cause of the crash. A preliminary crash report was expected to be available on Tuesday.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
