California pilot and his dog survive plane crash after swimming to shore

A pilot and his dog survived a plane crash off the California coast, swimming to shore where they were met by authorities responding to the incident.

A 911 call came in on Sunday afternoon at 5.22pm about a plane crashing into the ocean off the coast across from the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department said on Tuesday.

The Piper PA-32, a single engine plane, crashed around 5.15pm local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The pilot had reported engine issues.

The department dispatched an air rescue team to respond to the crash, the LASD said. The plane’s occupant and his dog were able to swim to shore where they were treated for minor injuries, a county fire supervisor told the Los Angeles Daily News.

A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the occupant and his dog “were able to safely swim”. The newspaper reported that the pilot was traveling from Santa Monica to Long Beach at the time of the crash.

The plane sank, the newspaper reported, and divers with the Los Angeles county fire department flagged its location but have not made an effort to salvage the vehicle.

The FAA said this week that it was investigating the crash.